Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich and MelanomaWA ambassador Hayden Ballantyne were among a multitude of players who received skin checks on Tuesday.
 
The checks, conducted by the HBF Corporate Wellness team, have become a frequent occasion for the playing group as Fremantle seeks to increase awareness of the dangerous disease.
 
“We get HBF to come in and do this for us and MelanomaWA are great supporters of us too,” Ballantyne said.
 
“Luckily enough we get checked over to make sure there’s nothing too dangerous there.
 
“I definitely do it every year now and try to get the boys to do it as well and luckily enough they’re all jumping on board.”


 
Ballantyne says simple things such as skin checks, appropriate clothing and sunscreen can dramatically reduce the possibility of skin cancer.
 
“Sunscreen, hats, long sleeve shirts, just try keep out of the sun as much as you can,” he said.
 
“It might sound cool to have a nice tan, but if it could cause cancer and a death in a family it’s obviously a dangerous thing.
 
“Take care in the sun and make sure you look after your skin.”
 
Ballantyne became an ambassador for MelanomaWA following the shocking diagnosis of former Peel Thunder teammate Clinton Heal in 2005.
 
“[Clinton] asked me to come on board as an ambassador and I was very happy to do so to try and spread the word about how dangerous melanoma is and how easy it is to pick it up,” he said.
 
“Awareness and getting checked once a year could save your life.”


 
Ballantyne says fans need to be cautious this summer and stay aware of their own bodies.
 
“The fans, when they come out to watch the footy or if they’re playing footy or out in the sun in general just slip-slop-slap it’s a pretty easy message,” he said.
 
“It’s easy to go along to your GP for a quick check up, check you’ve got no lesions or moles that should get checked, it’s a pretty simple message go get checked and stay sun smart.
 
“Also self-monitoring is a very important thing if you see something that looks a bit different to what it did a few months before definitely go get that checked because that could turn into something pretty dangerous very quickly.”
 
If you have a skin cancer query we encourage you to speak to your local GP or call MelanomaWA on 9322 1908.