Clubs’ commitment to road safety rewarded

SEVERAL football and netball clubs in the Geelong region are among those sharing in half a million dollars of grants for promoting road safety in the community.

The state government and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) are rewarding 151 clubs across the state for showing their commitment to eliminating death and serious injuries on our roads throughout the 2022 season.

Some of the clubs rewarded across the region include:

South Barwon Football and Netball Club – Female team uniforms, $7,500

Drysdale Football Club – Mental health education program and new scoreboard, $7,500

Portland Football Netball Cricket Club – Resourcing for junior team and new jumpers, $7,500

Corio Community Sports Club – New coaches box, $2,500

Geelong West Giants – Pride jumpers and indigenous jumpers, $2,500

Bannockburn Football & Netball Club – New uniform and equipment, $5,000

Hamilton Kangaroos Football Netball Club – Jumpers for women’s teams and new junior girls team, $2,500, and

Coleraine Football Netball Club – Courtesy bus maintenance and membership subsidies, $2,500.

The TAC Club Rewards Program encourages AFL Victoria-affiliated clubs to educate their players and members on the dangers associated with risky driving behaviours such as speed, drink/drug driving, fatigue, and distractions.

Successful clubs will put the money towards a range of initiatives including new equipment and uniforms, updated facilities, and education programs covering topics such as mental health and road safety.

Clubs from across the state were able to apply for the program by showing how they supported road safety throughout the year, including taking part in the TAC Road Safety Round.

Hundreds of clubs took part in the July campaign, donning blue armbands to promote road safety and honour those tragically killed on our roads.

“Local sporting clubs are the backbone of the community, and the TAC Club Rewards program is another great initiative that incentivises clubs to spread an important message and influence change, ” Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ben Carroll said.

“We are proud to support the long-standing partnership between the TAC and AFL Victoria, which provides a platform to educate hundreds of thousands of Victorians on road safety issues through local sport.”

So far this year, 187 people have lost their lives on Victorian roads, with 106 of those in regional areas – a large increase on the 78 regional deaths at the same time last year.

Road safety authorities are also deeply concerned with the rise in young people dying on Victorian roads, with the number of lives lost in the 18-25 age group now at 34, compared to 25 this time last year.

“It is encouraging to see the commitment from Victorian football and netball clubs to educate the community on road safety, and their actions will undoubtedly have a lasting and positive impact on the lives of their members,” TAC head of road safety Samantha Cockfield said.

The TAC Club Rewards Program is part of a 31-year partnership with AFL Victoria and provides a platform to speak directly with Victorians travelling hundreds of kilometres on the state’s roads every year for training and games.

“Our clubs are the heart of Victorian communities, and once again we are proud to stand alongside the TAC to be leading these conversations, which we hope will help reduce the incidents of road trauma and ensure that everyone gets home safely,” AFL Victoria head Ben Kavenagh said.