Gormandale Football-Netball Club, Heyfield Football-Netball Club, Cowwarr Football-Netball Club, and Sale Football-Netball Club are among the 251 Victorian football netball clubs to share in more than $600,000 for their efforts in campaigning to eliminate road trauma in their communities.

The TAC Club Rewards program, delivered by the state government and Transport Accident Commission, in partnership with AFL Victoria, provides the state’s grassroots football and netball clubs with the opportunity to earn a share in funding by participating in the mission to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on roads.

The program encourages clubs to engage with players, members and their communities on key road safety issues and promote safe behaviours, with the dangers of distracted driving a key focus of this year’s campaign.

Sale, Gormandale, Cowwarr and Heyfield are four of 251 TAC Club Rewards program recipients, the highest number of recipients in the program’s five years.

The Gippsland League and the North Gippsland Football-Netball League clubs received a little more than $1000 for their commitment to promoting road safety during the 2023 season, with funding available for a range of initiatives, including education programs, club transport initiatives, new equipment and uniforms and facility upgrades and improvements.

Heyfield FNC said they were proud to support such a great initiative by the TAC.

“The whole club got behind the program to raise awareness and promote road safety and the importance of looking after yourself and others on the road,” a Heyfield FNC spokesperson said.

“We thank TAC for their continued support to grassroots sporting clubs and their continual quest to reduce and hopefully eliminate road trauma.”

AFL Victoria-affiliated clubs from across the state were eligible to apply for the program by showing how they supported road safety throughout the year, including taking part in the TAC’s Road Safety Round ‘Band Together’ campaign.

AFL VIC Community Football Manager John O’Donohue says the TAC Club Rewards Program is of significant influence among community football.

“The TAC Club Rewards Program is one of the biggest and most important programs impacting community football, promoting the importance of road safety and supporting local clubs and their communities,” O’Donohue said.

The TAC and AFL Victoria have partnered for more than 30 years, working to achieve the vision of no deaths or serious injuries on roads.

The TAC Club Rewards Program is part of TAC and AFL Victoria’s mission to empower clubs to develop a culture where all players and members are expected to prioritise road safety.

TAC chief executive Tracey Slatter feted this year’s TAC Club Rewards program recipients, encouraging clubs to be proud of their efforts in creating a culture prioritising road safety.

“Road trauma has a significant ripple effect, and there’s no denying the power of peer-to-peer support and education at sporting club level,” Slatter said.

“These clubs should be proud of their efforts to create a culture that prioritises road safety.”

Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne said the TAC’s partnership with AFL Victoria provided an invaluable connection with thousands of communities that travel hundreds of kilometres to games and training every year.

“Victoria’s grassroots football and netball clubs have strong community connections and a culture of looking out for their teammates,” the Minister said.

“This partnership allows us to reward clubs that proactively promote road safety throughout the season, injecting much-needed support for club initiatives while they help to keep our roads safe.”

More than 230 people have died on Victorian roads this year, with rural regions accounting for more than half of all deaths.

Distracted driving is one of the major causes of fatal and serious injury crashes on Victoria’s roads and is particularly concerning on regional roads where people are travelling at higher speeds.

The TAC’s head of road safety, Samantha Cockfield, said this year’s TAC Club Rewards Program encouraged clubs to start conversations about the dangers of distracted driving and the importance of remaining focused on the road.

“Too many people have died on our roads this year, and we know that distracted driving is a key and prevalent issue among young to middle-aged drivers, thousands of whom spend many hours at local sporting clubs every week,” Cockfield said.

“Victoria’s football and netball clubs are often at the heart of their communities, and prioritising road safety within local clubs could be the reason someone gets home safely instead of a tragic alternative.”

In a bid to catch motorists on phones and prevent further fatalities across Victorian roads, six new high-tech mobile cameras fixed to trailers were rolled out across more than 200 sites for three months from March until June.

Authorities reported an alarming number of motorists flouting road laws, with cameras catching an astounding 7000 drivers not wearing seatbelts and 5000 using their phones or smart devices.

The penalty in Victoria for using a mobile phone while driving is a $555 fine and four demerit points.

The penalty for not wearing a seatbelt is a $385 fine and three demerit points.

More information about the TAC Club Rewards Program is available via the Transport Accident Commission website.