It is partly to salute the passing of Lou Reed – he wrote the song about spending the day at New York’s Central Park with his fiancée Bettye Kronstad, for his Transformer album in 1972.
The theme also emphasizes that the fight-to-the-death battle between Triple R 102.7FM and PBS 106.7FM Megahertz and the Rockdogs has always been a fun day.
It started out in 1997, after 3RRR Program Manager James Young (now operator of Cherry Bar in the City) proposed the creation of the 3RRR and PBS FM Megahertz to play against the Rockdogs musicians and raise money for St Kilda’s Sacred Heart Mission. It drew 2,000 people and raised $6,000.
Last year the game drew over 10,000 and raised $100,000 for Reclink Australia, who use sport and the arts to enhance the lives of people experiencing disadvantage. They target some of the community’s most vulnerable and isolated people – those experiencing mental illness, disability, homelessness, substance abuse, addiction, and social and economic hardship.
The 2013 game was the second year running when the match ended in a draw in the final minutes, with both teams on 28 points.
