Football certainly didn’t save the life of Suzanne Guthrie. But it made a difference.

The mother of current Geelong players Cameron and Zach Guthrie, Suzanne discovered a lump in her breast on Mother’s Day 2005, and at the age of 43 was diagnosed with cancer. 

“That time was tough, I had the four boys – two were in high school and two were in primary school – they were eating lots, doing lots of sports like basketball, cricket and football,” Suzanne told the Geelong Advertiser.

“Until we knew what the diagnosis was and what would be happening going forward, it was hard to know what to do."

“I had to stay strong for the kids but there’s a lot of processing you have to do for yourself" 

“I thought, ‘am I going to be around to see my kids grow up?’"

Suzanne will be joined by her two sons Cameron and Zach on February 24 for the the club-run Fare on the Field Luncheon to be hosted on the surface of Simonds Stadium. Thanks to the club's longstanding partnership with Ford Australia and the company’s affiliation with the National Breast Cancer Foundation, proceeds from the day will be donated to the NBCF.

The Guthrie family will speak of their experiences through the most challenging time of their lives, and be joined by Cats Patrick Dangerfield, Andrew Mackie, Zach Tuohy and Geelong identity Rebecca Maddern as MC.

Cameron – now in his seventh season at Simonds Stadium – remembers vividly the day he finished football training and learned of the fight that lay ahead for his mother.

“I remember Mum telling me and being a little bit freaked out,” Cameron said.

“But then she said, ‘everything is going to be okay,’ and I believed her.”

An intensive chemotherapy program awaited Suzanne and wanting to create a sense of normality for her young boys and family, the sessions were set for Monday afternoons so she could still make it to the football of a weekend.

“We wanted life to be normal for the kids, it actually helped me cope with things better, knowing that their routines and their lives weren’t being interrupted.” Suzanne said.

“Football is probably what helped me along the way to deal with things, to keep me in routine and very real.

“There was muddy laundry still to be done – I had help of course – then we would still get to all the games and it was a really good thing that we could all enjoy together and focus on the positive.”

To have two sons playing together at the one AFL club, some would say luck is on the side of the Suzanne Guthrie and her family. But now 12 years in remission at the age of 55, it’s hard not to think she deserves it.

“It is just so magical to think Cam and Zach have both ended up here … potentially Zach could have ended up anywhere” Suzanne said.

“We don’t say ‘it’s just a game,’ in our family because it’s not when the boys are so serious about it and it’s their livelihood."

“But after what we’ve been through there is certainly some perspective during tough times.”

To join Suzanne, Cameron, Zach at the Fare on the Field Luncheon or for more information, click here.