Wagga City Wanderers will go pink and yellow against Yoogali for the club's annual charity round

Gissing Oval will be a sea of predominantly pink and white, with a tinge of yellow, when the Wanderers play host to their annual charity round this weekend.

The Wanderers players will don one-off pink jerseys, yellow in the case of the goalkeepers, when they host Yoogali.

It is a big game in the context of the Wanderers' season but just as important to the club is spreading the message around Stampede Stigma as part of their partnership with local charity Wellways.

"It's our annual event, one of the biggest on Wanderers' annual calendar and probably likewise for Wellways as well," Wanderers player and Wellways suicide prevention community development coordinator for Murrumbidgee Ned Evans said.

"Each year we pick a campaign that we're running here at Wellways. Last year it was Striking Out Stigma and this year it is Stampede Stigma, so they're two initiatives we roll out across the Murrumbidgee aimed at reducing stigma experienced by people with mental illness. That's discrimination as well.

"Stampede Stigma is a Wellways wide initiative so this year we've got the one-time jerseys made up for the day and there is some great stuff happening down there on Saturday as well."

Evans said it was an important cause to the Wanderers playing group.

MORE SPORT NEWS

"I think it's so important for a lot of smaller communities, regionally, even for us in Wagga and sporting clubs tend to be a bit of a backbone of these communities so getting into clubs like Wanderers makes all the difference," he said.

"I notice when we're down there at training and even on game day, there's that real sense belonging and community, we're all about building a really positive culture in the club and I think it's definitely heading that way.

"We've had Wanderers players come into the Wellways office and sit through suicide prevention training and doing a lot of those real proactive activities to make the people they play with feel more confident and comfortable that they can reach out to one another and lean on one another if they ever find themselves in a bit of a dark place or aren't travelling too well."

The Wanderers senior team put in their worst effort of the season last week when going down 5-0 to the previously winless Weston Molonglo team.

They need a win against the seventh-placed Yoogali outfit on Saturday to help entrench themselves in the top four.

"It is going to be interesting. There's the rivalry on one front and then there's the charity round on the other so the boys are really looking to secure the three points leading into finals time," he said.

"We're starting to think about finals footy and if we keep going the way we are, we're looking really good it's just we've got to keep consistent and make sure we're putting them away and getting the three points across both grades. Both are looking really positive."

As for the bright jerseys, they will be auctioned off after the game for charity. Evans expects them to serve their purpose.

"These ones are a bit more out there. It's a bit of a talking point, starts up that conversation, bright and in your face so I think it will be really awesome to see everyone down there in the colours," he said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: