If you watched the AFL 's Brownlow Medal on Monday night – along with the wonderful dresses – you might have noticed Geelong player Jimmy Bartel's glorious "out of control" beard.
Bartel's facial hair isn't a fashion statement, however. Instead, by growing his beard, the new dad wanted to start a conversation about domestic violence – a topic close to his heart.
Bartel decided not to shave or cut his hair throughout the entire 2016 football season, vowing only to shave after the Grand Final.
Through the Face Up to DV appeal, Bartel is raising funds to assist the Luke Batty Foundation as well as Bethany – a Geelong-based family services organisation supporting victims of domestic violence.
"There are millions of people who will be watching Geelong play this year, so if I can get kids asking their father why I have a big dirty beard and long ratty hair, I will be achieving something," he told The Herald Sun earlier this year.
For Bartel the issue of domestic violence is a deeply personal one. In the interview with The Herald Sun, the 32-year-old shared that his father physically assaulted his mother both during their marriage and after they separated. Bartel and his siblings, as well as his grandparents, were also physically assaulted.
The new dad recalled one vivid memory, when his sister Olivia – who was ten years old –was thrown against the wall "like a rag doll", when she tried to intervene between her parents. Only four-years-old at the time, Bartel says, " I tried to get in between him and mum, and I was the next to be thrown, into an old-fashioned bureau."
The incident happened after Bartel's parents had separated.
"People often say to women, 'Why don't you leave him?' Well, Mum did, and it still happened," he said.
Bartel described that his father would try to justify his behaviour, forcing his mum to admit it was her fault, "to make himself feel better".
"It's easy to justify something like that to young people, or to someone who is physically weaker than you. They have to agree, or more will come."
In 2004 Bartel confronted his father after he became aggressive towards his sister Olivia, following the birth of her son.
"It was a real line in the sand moment," he said.
"I was thinking that there's another generation that was going to have to go through it all if I didn't do something, so I had to stop it. Hunter, being the first of the grandchildren, wasn't going to have a life subjected to violence if I could stop it."
Bartel highlighted that when it comes to leaving an abusive relationship one of the most challenging obstacles for women is being stuck financially – something his mother experienced.
Although she managed to leave her violent husband, three weeks later Bartel's mother had to move back in due to the financial pressures of caring for two young children. With the help of her best friend who set up a bank account for her, Bartel explained that his mother slowly put enough money away to "get us out of there".
Over the years Bartel said his mum was also forced to come up with excuses from her injuries.
"I think people were well aware — there are only so many times you can fall down the stairs, aren't there? People were genuinely concerned about her health."
Acknowledging that while we're better these days when it comes to helping people, the Geelong player argues that we have to be "even better still."
He also wants those affected by domestic violence to know they're not alone – and they're valued."You are not responsible for the inexcusable actions against you. You are worth a lot."
As the AFL Grand Final approaches, Bartel's wife, Nadia, is looking forward to having her clean-shaven husband back. She told radio station Triple M, "It's a fantastic campaign that he's done and I'm very proud of him, but I'm so excited so see it gone, I'm that over it,"
Their 10-month-old son Aston, however, loves his dad's beard, Nadia describing that he grabs onto it every single day. " He's going to miss it more than me, that's for sure," she said.
You can make a donation to Bartel's campaign here.