Last time the RecLink Community Cup was held Anthony Albanese, who presented the trophy, had just become Opposition Leader.
This time he could be Prime Minister, which would play well with the music industry crowd.
After a two-year enforced hiatus the Cup is returning to Victoria Park, with tickets now on sale for the June 19 fundraising event, which was officially launched last Wednesday.
A deeply-rooted fixture on the cultural calendar of Melbourne's alternative music scene, the day centres around an amateur footy match in which staff and presenters from the city's two biggest community radio stations face off against local musos in a hard scrabble of exaggerated rivalry.
The last cup, in 2019, saw a surprise come-from-behind win by the Megahertz over the Rockdogs.
Colour and character abound at the carnivalesque event which features tongue-in-cheek cheerleaders and flamboyant player outfitting. More serious is the musical entertainment, which this year includes bands Cash Savage and the Last Drinks, Private Function, Parsnip, Ausecuma Beats and Izy.
The family-friendly event, which attracts a crowd of 10,000, happily accommodates a large number of dogs, and offers hot food, cold drinks and activities for kids.
Organisers have given the 2022 event the theme Let Love Rule, after the 2016 song and album by beloved singer-songwriter Archie Roach, who is battling serious ill-health.
The choice also reflects a desire to celebrate "love, connection and a community reuniting ... after a tough few years".
First held in 1997 and raising $6000, the Community Cup has grown into a nation-wide initiative, with matches to be held in every state of Australia this year.
RecLink Australia CEO Dave Wells said it was hoped this year's Melbourne event would raise $300,000 for the organisation, which runs sports programs and provides equipment for people facing serious disadvantage, including poverty, drug addiction and homelessness.
