TAC and AFL Victoria have announced an exciting new Community Partnership that is set to deliver $300,000 into grassroots football in the first year.
TAC, AFL Victoria’s long-time partner, have announced the “Towards Zero Community Club Grants Program” which will headline the new partnership, driving significant investment directly into local football clubs right across the state, with all regions of Victoria to receive access to the program during targeted periods over three years.
The Grants program will give clubs who take steps to lead road safety in their communities the chance to receive $10,000 in funding from the TAC, and provide an important messaging platform for players, coaches, umpires and volunteers.
More than 600 senior football captains will be showing their support for road safety in the inaugural Towards Zero Round (August 3-4), with captains across metropolitan and regional Victoria swap their usual playing number for the number zero.
Head of AFL Victoria, Rick Bell welcomed the partnership.
“Football clubs are the heartbeat of every Victorian community, and this new partnership will allow road safety education and awareness to be taken to over 170,000 participants and 80,000 volunteers involved with the 1,200 clubs across Victoria.
“To be able to have football clubs from right across Victoria all supporting the same message on that single weekend is going to be a powerful statement and a significant achievement,” Mr Bell said.
TAC Engagement Senior Manager Megan Jacobs said local football and netball clubs are the heart of their communities and they will be an ideal partner to help us encourage safe driving and recognise the role everyone plays in making our roads safer.
“Country Victorians are overrepresented in the number of deaths on our roads and this partnership will serve as a direct link to local communities,” she said.
After 27 years of supporting AFL Victoria’s elite talent pathways, this partnership extension will allow the TAC to utilise the reach of the broader grassroots football community to engage players and clubs through road safety awareness programs, as well as spectators with a TAC presence and activities at games across the state.
Image: Left to right; TAC Senior Manager of Engagement Megan Jacobs, MP Jaala Paulford, BNFL Football Operations Manager Shane Anwyl.
