Sydney Swans trio Callum Mills, Nick Blakey and Harry Cunningham swapped the Sherrin for a Kookaburra on Wednesday afternoon when they attended the Cooper Rice-Brading memorial cricket game at Waverley Oval.

Cooper, a former QBE Sydney Swans Academy member alongside Blakey and Mills, sadly lost his brave fight against bone cancer in 2017, just 18 months after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma. Sarcoma is a rare and complex cancer of the bone, cartilage or soft tissues.

Prior to his passing, Cooper set up the Cooper Rice-Brading Foundation to raise money for research into sarcoma, and ultimately to help find a cure.

Wednesday’s cricket match was held in his honour – on the day he should have celebrated his 21st birthday – for the third straight year.

Mills, Blakey and Cunningham joined representatives from the NSW Blues and NSW Waratahs, as well as family and former school friends, in taking part in the match.

Sydney’s 2019 Rising Star winner Blakey said while it was an emotional afternoon, it was important for the Swans to show their support to Cooper, his family and the Foundation.

“We all saw Coop fight his battle a few years ago so it’s good to be down here today on his birthday and to support the Cooper Rice-Brading Foundation,” Blakey said.

“I played all of my junior football with Coop. He was always fighting his battle but the crazy thing was while he was going through chemotherapy he was still playing his sport – he was still playing footy, still playing cricket – and he was just very brave.”

To find out more about the Cooper Rice-Brading Foundation or to donate, please visit: crbf.org.au.