By: Troy Swainston – Chief Executive Officer – Eastern Football League
THIS weekend we are supporting the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s annual Love the Game round.
United by a passion for the game, the round aims to remind fans and players alike that sport and betting don’t have to go together, despite the significant amount of advertising that is now taken as a normal part of the sporting landscape.
During this year’s round, parents and other influential adults are being encouraged to talk to the kids in their life about the risks and potential harms associated with sports betting so that they can develop a more balanced, realistic understanding of how gambling works.
Parents, players and coaches should be concerned by research that shows 75 per cent of teenagers think gambling is a normal part of sport.
Footy has so much to offer, from obvious benefits like physical fitness, skills development and the fun of playing, to more sophisticated outcomes, such as an appreciation of contributing to something that is bigger than the individual, learning to be a gracious winner and loser, and understanding strategy.
The Love the Game round provides a terrific opportunity for us to share and celebrate with our kids these and all the other things we enjoy about sport, which have nothing to do with gambling.
Recent media attention surrounding crowd behaviour and umpire abuse has generated some ‘juicy’ headlines in the AFL.
The AFL and Marvel Stadium management probably could have communicated the objectives of the behavioural awareness officers to football fans a little better than just setting them loose. However, despite the lack of communication, I’ve always believed if you are behaving yourself at the football then why would you need to be concerned by their presence at the games? Is it too much too soon or have we taken too long to address the issue of crowd behaviour? The game’s broadcasters could also assist by not putting the camera on the ‘biggest twits’ in the crowd who aggressively swear and abuse players and umpires.
Like any sport and any club in the country there is always a vocal minority that causes issues and grief for the majority. This minority can significantly damage a club’s reputation, brand, and standing within the community. Being passionate about your team is one thing but creating a negative experience for others at the football is something that cannot be tolerated at any level.
At the football this weekend, please appreciate and respect the environment you are in.
We need to ensure that our umpires, players, supporters – kids, mums, dads, grandparents and partners, coaches and the volunteers – that run your clubs have a great experience at the football so they keep coming back week after week and year after year to the game we all love.
Good luck to all teams this weekend. Tune in to our match of the round – Croydon v Doncaster East on SEN+ 1377 or watch the live stream via the EFL website.
How can you get involved in Love the Game?
Agree to say no to sports betting sponsorship and sign up to the charter. It’s easy and only takes a couple of minutes – visit vic.gov.au/join.
Follow the Foundation on social media to stay up-to-date with all things Love the Game.
Share, post and tag social content – visit lovethegame.vic.gov.au/resourcehub to download content that’s ready to go.
Encourage everyone in your community to have ‘the talk’ with the kids in their lives.
For more information, visit lovethegame.vic.gov.au or share your thoughts on social media using #LoveTheGame.