ST KILDA Football Club has officially pledged its support to the Australian Marriage Equality (AME) movement and is now one of almost 500 organisations to sign-up to the equal rights campaign.

AME has launched a new campaign called #WeCanDoThis which Sam Gilbert, Josh Bruce and club leaders Matt Finnis and Alan Richardson are supporting. 

CEO Matt Finnis said the Saints are the first and only sporting club in Australia to officially be part of the movement which has also been supported by the AFL, AFL Players’ Association, NRL and Football Federation Australia.

Click HERE to read St Kilda’s letter of support for Marriage Equality.

“As a club, we believe everyone should feel welcome, included and equal - this belief is at the heart of our How I Want To Be spirit and it’s key to our values as an organisation,” Finnis said.

“We want to help connect people and communities by wrapping football in the unique spirit of St Kilda. As such, we fervently believe in equality amongst people in all walks of life – in employment, education, sport and community involvement.”

Finnis said that St Kilda management and players have taken part in Pride Marches – an annual celebration of diversity which is held in St Kilda – and the inaugural 2015 Pride Cup football match. 

Following this year’s NAB Challenge Sydney v Fremantle Pride Match, St Kilda is in discussions with the AFL about a 2016 home and away Pride Match.

St Kilda defender Sam Gilbert, who is set to marry his girlfriend at the end of this year, has been a long-time supporter of marriage equality and spoke at an AME event twelve months ago.

"I wanted to support this cause because I sincerely believe that all people should be treated equally," Gilbert said.

"I cannot begin to understand what it would feel like to not have the opportunity to marry the person you are in love with and then for the state to not recognise it."

Click here to visit the AME website.