Dare to Hope Annual AFL Match

Dare to Hope is the Official Charity Partner of Hawthorn Football Club. Every Easter Monday, the Dare to Hope Match is held at the MCG the home of Australian Rules Football.

The rivalry between Hawthorn and Geelong Football Club remains as fierce as always but the two clubs come together in the fight against pancreatic cancer, in memory of Hawthorn premiership player and Norm Smith Medallist Paul Dear and Geelong champion and former captain Michael "Mick" Turner - both of whom lost their lives to pancreatic cancer.

More than just a game, the annual Dare to Hope Match, played live before crowds of 80,000+ and broadcast to an audience of 1.5 million+ puts pancreatic cancer firmly on the map - raising vital awareness and funds for research into a disease that is swift, deadly, and neglected for too long.

Every dollar raised at the Dare to Hope Match goes directly toward giving the next family diagnosed with pancreatic cancer more time, more options, and more hope by funding medical research.

Pancreatic cancer takes too many, too soon. We're changing that.

Paul Dear was a husband, father, and Hawthorn legend. When he was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in 2020, he and his wife Cherie refused to give up. Dare to Hope is his legacy.

In the face of adversity there is always HOPE.

Your donation funds breakthrough research and gives families like Paul's a fighting chance.

We're fighting for a brighter future for those with pancreatic cancer. Here's why.

Pancreatic cancer has one of the lowest survival rates out of all the major cancers. On average, only 1 in 10 people diagnosed will survive five-years post diagnosis.

Pancreatic cancer often goes undiagnosed in its early stages due to the presentation of vague symptoms such as indigestion, abdominal pain, fatigue and loss of appetite. Currently, no early detection tests are available and often patients are only diagnosed once the cancer has already spread to other organs. By then, surgery is no longer viable and only limited treatment options are available - many with significant side effects that drastically affect quality of life.

For those confronted with a pancreatic cancer diagnosis, it can feel like hope is in short supply.

Pancreatic cancer is not as rare as you think

 see the facts here

We're working tirelessly to change the story.

Dare to Hope is on a mission to raise awareness and to fund critical research to inspire HOPE for those impacted by pancreatic cancer.

Watch the Dare to Hope documentary 

Produced by award-winning filmmaker Peter Dickson from Dickson Films, the documentary explores Paul and Cherie's relentless pursuit to defy the odds, raise awareness and demand funding for research to find innovative treatment options for pancreatic cancer, following Paul's terminal diagnosis.

Available to stream now exclusively on SBS on Demand and Kayo.

Paul & Cherie Dear

After his celebrated football career, Hawthorn Football Club Premiership Player and Norm Smith Medalist, Paul Dear and his wife Cherie were like any ordinary Australian family focused on raising their family.

When Paul was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer in September 2020, their life was turned upside down. Over his 22 month journey before passing away in July 2022, Paul together with his family, maintained optimism and persistence in taking control of their journey.

Now, through their experiences of living with cancer, Paul's legacy is Cherie's inspiration to inspire others and raise awareness for this devastating disease.

Photo Courtesy Nicki Connolly/ Herald Sun