THREE Cairns Taipans stars today join The Weekend Post in an initiative to stop the alcohol-fuelled violence that is ruining lives in the Far North.

Veterans Martin Cattalini, Aaron Grabau and rising star Kerry Williams will help spread a simple, but powerful message to the community: Just Think.

Using the slogan "We’re not saying don’t drink, just think", the campaign was conceived by The Weekend Post’s sister newspaper, The Geelong Advertiser, which used three Geelong Cats AFL stars to drive the message.

Just two months old, it has already made a positive impact on the regional Victorian city and has been embraced by the community.

The Weekend Post and Taipans decided to help spread the message into the Far North following the death of father-of-one Craig Hadrick in a fight at a Cairns sporting club a fortnight ago.

The 35-year-old plasterer’s family supports the campaign, as does the Australian Hoteliers Association’s Queensland branch. And federal politicians believe the Just Think message has the potential to be spread nationally.

Taipans chief executive Denis Keeffe said the city’s NBL team was more than willing to join the campaign. "It fits our ideals," he said. "When I look at our club, we’ve got great athletes but we also recruit people with strong family values and look at how they fit into the community."

He said the players hated seeing Cairns "knocked around by senseless violence".

Far Northern police have backed the campaign, saying it complemented their efforts to stem the rate of assaults in the region.

"I wish to acknowledge the support shown by The Weekend Post with their Just Think campaign, which is encouraging the local community to campaign against violence in our community," Assistant Commissioner Andy Henderson said.

 Queensland Hotels Association chief executive officer Justin O’Connor said local pubs would support the effort to reduce fights caused by excess drinking. "Hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders enjoy the fun, hospitality and entertainment in licensing businesses every day. However, on those occasions when drink, tiredness or stress get the better of people, we encourage everybody to think first before doing something they regret later," he said.

As part of the campaign, the newspaper will report on incidents involving alcohol-fuelled violence and speak to victims of attacks.

We will also distribute posters featuring the Just Think slogan and photographs of Mr Hadrick and the Taipans players, to pubs and clubs and any other business that wants to display them.

Share this article