AFL Wimmera Mallee and Sunraysia region manager Angela Ballinger said the special round served as a reminder that everyone had a responsibility to play in road safety.
“What we’re looking for is a region-wide approach to make sure that everybody involved in the great games of footy, netball and umpiring is safe on the roads,” she said.
“We want them to get to training safely, we want them to get home safely.
“It is an initiative that’s going to be shared across the state this weekend, and it is a really good opportunity to really focus in on how important this is – especially here on our country roads and this big busy Western Highway of ours.”
Mrs Ballinger said road fatalities in the region hit home to close-knit communities – whether it be that people know the person involved in the road crash or the first-responder at the scene.
“It hurts us and it hits home really hard and for the first responders as well, it’s unpleasant and dire for everyone in our community,” she said.
Laharum Football Netball Club secretary Rowena Doyle said the Demons would make the TAC Road Safety Round a focus at its home game against Kaniva this weekend.
“We have chosen the tag line ‘Be a Speed Demon on the field, and not on the road’ and to further spread this message, we will find out who our club’s ‘Speed Demon’ is at training on Thursday night,” she said.
“Kaniva is travelling more than 140 kilometres to attend our ground. The distances that clubs travel each week to grounds for matches can be vast and especially during winter the conditions can be hazardous.”
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