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AFL Victoria

Sponsorship commenced in 2002. The current contract covers 2023 to 2025.

About the sponsorship

Workplace safety issues in regional Victoria are different from metropolitan areas. Farms and rural workplaces have unique safety challenges. Country football and netball are part of the fabric of life in regional Victoria and clubs are the social lifeblood of many regional communities.

This sponsorship helps to:

  • remind everyone that staying safe at work allows you do the things you love when you're not at work - like play for, or support, your local footy or netball club
  • facilitate greater trust in WorkSafe and engagement with country people with inspectors
  • provide a unique opportunity for relationships to be formed in a non-threatening, non-workplace context
  • position WorkSafe as an organisation that is investing in regional communities and is a part of regional community life

As part of the sponsorship agreement, WorkSafe hosts a number of regional events, or Country Club Weeks, which are used to engage local regional audiences.

WorkSafe Country Club Weeks

Each season there are six WorkSafe Country Club Week events to engage local regional audiences across Victoria. The location of these events are determined in relation to WorkSafe’s strategic needs and with the assistance of AFL Victoria and Netball Victoria.

Activities delivered during a WorkSafe Country Club Week event include:

  • Tuesday night, WorkSafe mental health session delivered exclusively to the Club members.
  • Thursday night, Club Night events which provides an opportunity to engage the senior playing groups with WorkSafe messaging including WorkSafe Inspectors.
  • On Saturday (match day), WorkSafe promotes its messaging to the regional audiences at the club.

The Country Football Netball Clubs provide light catering for the WorkSafe speaker and two local Inspectors at each event.

The partnership in action

Footy's Favourite Farmer

WorkSafe’s annual search for regional Victorian football/netball club's 'Footy's Favourite Farmer' recognises local farmers and their contributions to the local club, while promoting farm safety messages to this audience.