TAC Club Rewards: Why This Program Matters — and What This Year Has Shown Us About Community, Choices & Change

By Shane Jay — Founder, Safe Roads For Us

This week, footy and netball clubs across Victoria are receiving confirmation on whether they were successful in the 2025 TAC Club Rewards Program — and for many clubs, this moment means more than a funding announcement.

It’s a reminder of how powerful grassroots sport is when it comes to shaping safer, stronger, more connected communities.

After working closely with clubs across Victoria this season, and seeing the program from the inside, I’ve never been more convinced that TAC Club Rewards is one of the most impactful community programs we have in this state.

1. A Program That Brings the Whole Community Together

TAC Club Rewards isn’t just about points, tasks, or criteria. It’s a program that taps into something far deeper: community connectedness.

Footy and netball clubs are more than sporting environments — they’re the emotional heartbeat of towns, suburbs, and regions across specially in Victoria. They’re where generations gather, where young people look up to their heroes, and where culture is built.

Road safety becomes real in these spaces because it’s woven into the fabric of the community itself.

People don’t just learn; they care. They don’t just watch; they participate. They don’t just hear stories; they feel responsible for each other.

That’s where real change begins.

2. Leadership at Clubs: Volunteers With Enormous Heart

Working with dozens of clubs this season, one thing stands out clearly:

Club leaders genuinely care. And they care deeply.

Most are volunteers putting in late nights, long hours, and emotional labour simply because they want their players — and their community — to be safe.

Their commitment is what makes programs like TAC Club Rewards not only possible, but meaningful.

3. When Vulnerability Enters a “Tough” Sporting Culture

One of the most powerful things I witnessed this year was vulnerability.

Footy and netball can often be seen as tough, masculine, performance-driven environments… yet inside these clubs, people were willing to share personal stories, talk about loss, open up about close calls, and reflect on their own choices.

These conversations — often unexpected, emotional, and honest — are exactly where prevention begins.

4. This Year Felt Different — Here’s Why

I’ve been fairly involved in this year’s TAC Club Rewards cycle, and I’ve never seen engagement like this:

• More clubs taking part

• A huge number of first-time participants

• Deeper involvement from regional clubs

• Stronger leadership buy-in

• And TAC/AFL Victoria increasing the pool from $600K to $700K

That increase speaks volumes. It shows belief. It shows impact. It shows growth.

And this week, as clubs are being told whether they’ve been successful or not, one thing is clear: Victoria’s grassroots sporting community showed up this year — deeply.

5. Safe Roads For Us: Our Role in This Journey

For us, the TAC Club Rewards Program has been a platform to do what we do best:

Start real conversations through lived-experience storytelling.

Our approach isn’t slides, stats, or lectures. It’s raw. It’s honest. It’s human.

And because of that, it cuts through.

Clubs regularly tell us: “I thought it was going to be another boring road safety talk — but this one actually stuck.”

Our own data shows that after our sessions, behaviour and thought processes genuinely shift. This aligns with research that lived-experience storytelling is one of the most effective forms of road safety education.

We’ve delivered sessions both in-person and online — making them accessible to every club across Victoria, and now, across Australia.

6. What Clubs Tell Us Afterwards

The most common feedback we receive?

• “Every youth should hear this.”

• “One choice can change a life.”

• “It could have been us, a mate, or our kid.”

• “We talk about choices on the field — but this brought it home off the field.”

That’s the power of lived experience. It creates a shift that people carry with them long after the session ends.

7. The Biggest Challenge: ‘It’ll Never Happen To Me’

Almost every young person in a club has said at some point:

“It won’t happen to me.” “I’m careful.” “I’ll be right.”

That mindset is one of the biggest risks we face.

But when someone stands in front of them with a lived story — a real face, a real voice, a real consequence — the bulletproof feeling fades.

They realise the person on the screen or the stage could just as easily have been:

them, a teammate, a friend, or someone they love.

That connection is where change begins.

8. Why Footy & Netball Clubs Are the Perfect Audience

Grassroots sport creates the ideal environment for road safety insights to land:

• Right age group

• Team-first mindset

• High trust in leadership

• Regional road exposure

• Late-night driving

• Strong social culture

• Clear hierarchies and communication pathways

And most importantly…

They care about each other. Losing someone in that environment would be devastating.

Which is why these conversations matter so much.

9. The Opportunity Ahead: Expanding to Other Sports

If we want to scale impact, we must scale the model.

Cricket, basketball, hockey, soccer, volleyball — every code with a youth and community base can benefit from engaging, emotional, relatable road safety programs.

There is enormous opportunity to use sport as a vehicle for prevention.

10. The Future: Collaboration Is the Only Way Forward

We cannot create meaningful change working in silos.

The future requires:

• More collaboration

• More long-term commitment

• Shared messaging

• Shared resources

• Creativity in delivery

• A united vision for safer communities

TAC Club Rewards is one of the best examples of what happens when organisations partner with community to create real, measurable impact.

And Safe Roads For Us is proud to be part of that story.

Final Thoughts

This week’s announcements are about more than which clubs receive funding. They’re a reflection of how much this community cares, participates, and leads.

To every club that took part — whether you receive funding this week or not — thank you. Your involvement creates safer, stronger communities. Your leadership saves lives.

And Safe Roads For Us will continue standing beside you — one story, one conversation, and one choice at a time.