GOALS for Good is back in 2022, with Melbourne continuing the initiative thanks to Major Partner Zurich Insurance and their community mental health program Tackle Your Feelings.
The campaign, which was first launched ahead of the 2021 AFL Women’s season, will again provide some added motivation on the field, seeing both the Demons and junior football clubs benefit.
For every major kicked by a Melbourne player this coming AFLW season, a football equipment pack will be donated to a junior community club. The kits include junior-sized Sherrin footballs, training bibs and a ball carrier, and are valued at over $450 each.
This year’s campaign follows a successful first season of Goals for Good, which saw 60 packs donated to clubs across Australia thanks to Melbourne’s improved accuracy in front of goal.
After senior coach Mick Stinear set the challenge of combining performance with community, the Demons registered a total of 60 majors in season 2021 – up from 32 goals the year prior. Their efforts resulted in over $20,000 worth of equipment being handed out.
Stinear said he was excited to be building on this momentum heading into another season.
“As a club, we have a responsibility to support our community and help grow the game,” he told Melbourne Media.
“We’re looking forward to getting more footballs in the hands of young kids this coming season and inspiring the next generation of girls and boys.”
Linda Griffin, Head of Brand, Marketing and Corporate Affairs for Zurich, said she was just as thrilled with the success of Goals for Good to date, and is excited to see it make a return.
“The entire Melbourne Football Club got behind it as a genuine motivator to kick more goals and impact team results,” she said.
“It has proved a fantastic investment into the next generation of footy players at the community level, as well as supporting women’s football nationally.
“It also raises awareness of Tackle Your Feelings and the importance of early intervention when it comes to mental health.
“Supporting mental wellbeing at a community level is key to addressing Australia’s mental health crisis and Tackle Your Feelings serves a tremendous role by equipping local footy coaches with ways to talk about mental health with their young players.”
Tackle Your Feelings is a free mental health training program for local footy clubs and coaches, funded by the Z Zurich Foundation and Zurich Australia.
The program provides coaches and participants with the tools and resources to understand, recognise and respond to signs of mental ill-health within their players, fellow club members and their extended community and families
If your club is in need of some new footy equipment and wants to be involved in the Goals for Good initiative, simply explain why it would be a deserving winner here.
