Celebrate with footy this Easter

LOCAL football captains will sport a zero on their backs tomorrow (Friday) as they lead their teams into a Good Friday clash to open the Towards Zero Footy Festival.

The Transport Accident Commission and AFL Barwon have teamed up to bring a festival of footy fun and road safety activities to Torquay over the Easter long weekend.

The Torquay Tigers and Modewarre Warriors will face off on Good Friday at Spring Creek Reserve to open the three-day festival.

In a first for the league, all captains playing in Bellarine Football League games over the Easter weekend will wear zeros on their backs in support of the TAC’s vision to have zero deaths on the roads.

In addition, the wing of Torquay’s oval will be painted with the TAC’s message “Drinking, Driving, They’re Better Apart”.

TAC’s lead director of road safety Samantha Cockfield said it was great to have the support of local sporting identities to help promote important road safety messages.

“We know that heading to the footy often includes having a drink with friends while cheering on your team.

“It’s important that you plan ahead and organise a way home from the game that doesn’t include driving and make sure everyone makes it home safely.”

The TAC will reward designated drivers with free coffee for their efforts to get their mates home safely, and giveaways from local businesses will also be up for grabs.

On Easter Saturday, the action moves to Banyul Warri Fields in Torquay North from 11am-3pm, with performances from The Mik Maks and Callan Young, football clinics, jumping castles, face painting and food trucks.

The festival wraps up on Easter Sunday back at Spring Creek Reserve with a VFL game between the Geelong Cats and the Werribee Tigers at 2.10pm.

The TAC team will be in Torquay across the weekend, including at The Drop festival on Torquay Common on Saturday, reminding all holidaymakers to drive safely over the Easter period.

People heading to The Drop can catch a ride around Torquay and Jan Juc on shuttle buses, and back to Geelong train station for those travelling from further afield.