THE heartbreaking story of Coward Punch victim Pat Cronin will take centre stage next week in a powerful face-to-face presentation aimed at helping Loddon teenagers manage anger and defuse potentially violent situations.
Pat was 19 when he was struck from behind while coming to the aid of a mate on what was supposed to be a quiet night out in Melbourne in 2016. Although he was walking and talking straight after the blow, he suffered a catastrophic brain bleed a few hours later and never regained consciousness.
His devastated parents – Matt and Robyn – were faced with the agonising decision to turn off his life support. Since then, they have dedicated themselves to preventing similar tragedies through the work of the Pat Cronin Foundation.
East Loddon P-12 College students will take part in the Foundation’s Violence is Never OK presentation - which has reached more than 320,000 young Australians, on Tuesday.
College acting wellbeing leader Sarah Krahe said Pat’s story always resonated with students, sparking important conversations about actions and consequences.
“I think it’s because Pat was a typical teenager who loved football and hanging out with his  friends – and that really hits home.
“We book the presentation as part of the Year 9 Health curriculum. The Foundation uses a range of presenters, each bringing their own life experiences, which really helps bring the messages to life.”
Foundation director Matt Cronin said he and Robyn could never have imagined how far the foundation would reach when they first began sharing Pat’s story.
“When we started out, we just wanted to honour Pat and try to stop this from happening to other families,” he said. “We never imagined the Foundation would grow to touch the lives of hundreds of thousands of young people.”
Mr Cronin said the presentation explored not only the immediate consequences of violence, but also its devastating long-term ripple effects - on victims, families, perpetrators and communities.
“One punch changed everything for us, forever,” he said. “We use Pat’s story to help young people understand the lifelong impact of a single moment of violence.”
He said the foundation’s message had become more powerful with time.
“What we’ve seen is that Pat’s story still connects with people - perhaps even more so now. I think it’s because people realise it could happen to anyone. Schools tell us our programs genuinely shift attitudes. They get students thinking about their choices, their emotions, and how to resolve conflict without violence. We’re proud of the change that’s happening.”
The foundation’s evidence-based presentations are aligned with the Australian Curriculum.
“Violence is Never OK” shares Pat’s story and uses real-life scenarios to help students understand the impact of a single, violent act while equipping them with skills to manage anger before it escalates into aggression.
Building on this, the “Rethinking Anger” delves deeper into the triggers of conflict, offering strategies to avoid violence altogether.
The “Think Carefully, Act Kindly” presentation for younger children is part of a resource kit including storybooks, teacher-led activities, and role-playing exercises to instil positive behaviours.