Plenty of action on and off the field with NO MORE

The Plenty Highway Football Club’s long awaited return to AFL Central Australia competition football will be accompanied by efforts to make a difference off the field as well as on it, with the club committing to implement its own family violence action plan with the help of the NO MORE Campaign.

Plenty Highway Coach Tony Schaber said the 9-year absence from regular AFLCA football had motivated the club’s leadership to use the opportunity to return, to build a positive club culture right from the start.

“Apart from playing in a handful of carnivals each year, the young men from Atitjere (Harts Range) haven’t had the chance to represent their region on the field as a competition club for almost a generation of players now,” said Schaber.

“Throughout the absence the region’s young sportsmen have maintained a passionate desire to play for Plenty Highway in regular competition and the club’s leadership decided to use that collective mindset to set some standards from the word go.”

“Playing regular competition footy will require a lot of community support, so it is reasonable to expect the club to acknowledge that support by adopting positive community initiatives like this.”

“It is also reasonable to expect that players benefiting from that community support should behave in a manner that upholds appropriate community standards and expectations.”

“Violence in any way, shape or form is unacceptable behavior and our club will be making that message a strong, loud and clear one to the young men who want to play for us, and to the wider community that will be supporting us.”

Harts Range based police officers James Nolan and Jason Hughes have been helping the club with pre-season training and were present when the action plan was signed by club leaders.

Nolan intends to pull on the boots and play for the club in its return season and he welcomed the club’s commitment toward tackling family violence.

“Any pro-active measure taken in regards to domestic violence can only reflect well on the community overall and will be fully supported by NT Police” said Nolan.  

Alice Springs based NO MORE Campaign workers Roy Arbon and Stan Coombe have been canvassing sports clubs throughout the region and encouraging them to consider developing their own family violence action plans.

Plenty Highway are the third football club in the Central Desert Regional Council district to agree to work alongside the CatholicCare NT NO MORE Campaign to develop club family violence action plans, joining the Ti Tree Roosters and Laramba Cowboys.

The CAFC Redtails and AFL Barkly premiers Sporties Spitfires are also on board with NO MORE.