Sydney gets a chance to connect with recreational charity event

March 18 will see rock musicians and radio presenters pitted against each other in an inaugural charity event that has previously taken Melbourne by storm.

Henson Park in Marrickville will play host to the game known as the Community Cup, which has a history dating back more than 20 years.

With humble origins based in grass-roots events, the first official game was held in 1997 after the then radio program manager at 3RRR James Young joined forces with other presenters to form the Mega Hertz amateur AFL team to tackle the musician-only alliance named the Rock Dogs.

Held at Ross Gregory Oval in St Kilda, the first match drew a crowd of over 2,000 and raised a little over $6,000 in funds.

Ten years later and the community-based event had grown in popularity - reporter for The Age Daniel Ziffer wrote on June 25 2007 that "more than 18,000 people paid $5 each to see the game, which featured a half-time set by punk band Mach Pelican and umpires dressed as The Ramones".

This casual, fun-loving atmosphere has been the catalyst for further extensions of the program, with parents invading the pitch and having a kick with their kids between quarters and even the occasional streaker - who is usually greeted with thunderous applause.

In 2012, the fun is set to continue in New South Wales where the new venue will also see the creation of two new teams to take to the field on the day in a quest for glory, points and donations.

Keeping with tradition, the Sydney Sailors will be made up entirely of radio presenters and will be headed by Adam Spencer, while the Western Walers - named after a particular breed of horse once popular in western NSW - will be led by ARIA Award-winning musician Dan Sultan.

The funds raised by the generous participants will be passed on to Reclink Australia to be used towards a range of worthy causes.

This Australian charity helps to facilitate the involvement of some of the country's most marginalised members of society by getting them involved in a range of recreational activities, including sport, music and the arts.

Live music will be prominent throughout the day and the crowd has been encouraged to get into the theme of the event by dressing up - with space on the dedicated Facebook page for fan photos.