Each year in the lead up to NRL State of Origin and the NRL and AFL Finals series, some of the game’s heavyweights and archrivals join with DrinkWise, governments and police to remind the community to Always respect, always DrinkWise. This year, during the AFL Gather Round matches in South Australia, DrinkWise is teaming up the South Australian Government, South Australian Police, Adelaide Metro, support services and AFL football clubs to remind the community about the importance of moderating their alcohol consumption and always being respectful toward others.
This whole-of-community approach helps to remind sports fans about the importance of moderating their alcohol consumption and always being respectful towards others.
Always respect, always DrinkWise – 2024 AFL Gather Round
As part of the Always respect, always DrinkWise AFL Gather Round campaign DrinkWise is teaming up with the South Australian Government, South Australian Police, Adelaide Metro, support services – 1800RESPECT, Men’s Referral Service and 13YARN – the Port Adelaide, Adelaide and North Melbourne football clubs, Coles Liquor, Endeavour Group, Retail Drinks Australia and Australian Hotels Associations South Australia to remind AFL fans about the importance of moderating their alcohol consumption and always being respectful toward others during the Gather Round matches in South Australia.
DrinkWise Chief Executive Officer, Simon Strahan said “As a nation, Australians are drinking more moderately than ever before and this has become evident within the AFL community. Our new research has shown that 93% of AFL fans agree they typically drink responsibly at events and 94% believe an event can be ruined if people drink too much. These statistics demonstrate that drinking behaviours are improving and trending in a positive direction.
“With 82% of AFL fans stating that having a drink or two at a sporting event is an Australian tradition, the Always respect, always DrinkWise campaign serves as a reminder that if you’re choosing to drink whether you’re watching the game at the ground, the pub or at home – it should be consumed responsibly. We don’t want to moderate the excitement around gather round, but we do want fans to moderate their consumption.”
North Melbourne football player Aidan Corr agrees. He’s supportive of the Always respect, always DrinkWise messaging and wants to see all fans enjoy the round in a safe and friendly environment.
“While we know some fans enjoy a drink or two while watching their favourite AFL stars battle it out on the field, it’s important that they do that in moderation so that they and those around them can enjoy all the great moments of our game. It can be easy to get caught up in the moment, especially when your team manages to kick a goal at the last minute, so it’s important to look after each other and be mindful of keeping an eye on how much alcohol you’re drinking.”
Zoe Bettison, South Australian Minister for Tourism and Multicultural Affairs added: “We’re so excited to welcome both locals and interstate AFL fans to the upcoming Gather Round matches, as it provides an incredible opportunity for our local businesses and vendors to showcase the very best South Australia has to offer. As a state renowned and celebrated for its plentiful wineries, distilleries and breweries, DrinkWise’s Always respect, always DrinkWise campaign allows us to prompt locals and visitors to be respectful of others while drinking so we won’t miss a moment of the action.”
Joe Szakacs MP, South Australian Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services also wants AFL Gather Round attendees to have a safe and memorable experience. “Safety is always our number one priority when it comes to major sporting events and the AFL Gather Round is no exception. Anyone attending these matches needs to ensure they are behaving responsibly and moderating their consumption of alcohol. If you’re going to have a drink while watching the game, then don’t think about driving at all – catch the free public transport or designate a driver so that you can get home safely.
Assistant Commissioner for the South Australian Police Metropolitan Operations Service, Scott Duval agrees that the safety and responsibility message is so important: “South Australia Police will be highly visible during AFL Gather Round at game venues, the Adelaide CBD and on roads across the state. They will be actively targeting anti-social behaviour and alcohol and drug driving with a particular focus on ensuring venues and roads are safe. Police encourage all AFL Gather Round attendees to drink responsibly, put their focus on being an active and responsible fan and if driving not to make the poor decision to drive if they have consumed alcohol or drugs.”
DrinkWise’s Always respect, always DrinkWise campaign messaging will be promoted in the lead up to and during the AFL Gather Round via:
- billboard advertisements located in high traffic areas in and around Adelaide, including at the arrivals hall of the Adelaide airport
liquor retail outlets and hotel venues around the Adelaide city precinct - a digital mobile messaging truck that will be roaming around the Adelaide city centre and near game venues in the lead up to matches
- awareness messages from AFL players from Port Adelaide, Adelaide and North Melbourne Football Clubs sent to fans
- radio broadcaster SEN during the Gather Round game calls.
- social media messaging and the digital channels of the South Australian Government, South Australian Police, DrinkWise, 1800RESPECT, Men’s Referral Service and 13YARN.
This campaign also serves as a reminder that if people are having trouble managing their consumption or their behaviour and their choices are impacting on the safety of family or others, asking for help is okay and there are support of services, that can provide advice and assistance. You can visit the DrinkWise support services page for a list of services or contact one of the following support services directly if:
- you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit ntv.org.au.
- you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, domestic, family or sexual violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit 1800respect.org.au for online chat and video call services.
- you or someone you know is an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping, call 13YARN on 13 92 76 or visit 13yarn.org.au.
Always respect, always DrinkWise – 2023 AFL and NRL Finals Series
In the lead-up to the Australian Football League (AFL) finals series, DrinkWise partnered with Endeavour Group and AFL player Jack Billings, to officially launch the AFL Always respect, always DrinkWise campaign. The extension of the campaign into the AFL provided a great opportunity to remind AFL fans who were planning to have a drink while watching the finals action – whether at home, in a pub, or at the game – to:
- drink responsibly and in moderation
- always be respectful towards family, friends and everyone in the community.
It also highlighted the respect that needs to be extended to retail staff when purchasing products.
As part of the campaign, DrinkWise worked with 1800RESPECT, Men’s Referral Service and 13YARN to promote these support services and emphasise that if people were having trouble managing their alcohol consumption or behaviour, they can use these services for confidential, non-judgemental advice and support.
Endeavour Group displayed the AFL – Always respect, always DrinkWise campaign materials across screens in every BWS and Dan Murphy’s store during September.
To help extend the reach and amplify the Always respect, always DrinkWise message to AFL and NRL fans, Lion provided support with the donation of Out of Home (OOH) digital screens in shopping centres and bottle shops across Australia. This placement provided an important reminder to sporting fans about the importance of moderation and respect when consuming alcohol.
The New South Wales Government, New South Wales Police, South Australian Government and South Australian Police also lent their support to the Always respect, always DrinkWise campaign during the AFL and NRL finals series campaign.
Always respect, always DrinkWise – 2023 Ampol State of Origin Series
In 2023, to ensure a whole community approach and extend the ‘Always respect, always DrinkWise’ campaign, DrinkWise partnered with:
- the South Australian and New South Wales Governments
- the South Australia and New South Wales Police Forces
- the NRL
- support services 1800RESPECT and 13YARN.
In the lead up to the NRL State of Origin games, the education campaign was featured across national television news, radio, digital and social media platforms, in addition to DrinkWise digital channels.
Social media messages targeted to certain areas also emphasised the importance of asking for help if:
- fans were having trouble managing their alcohol consumption
- their behaviour or choices were impacting those around them.
Endeavour Group, Coles Liquor, Australian Hotels Association South Australia, Retail Drinks Australia members, Flemington and Bankstown Liquor Accords and Accor Stadium helped promote the Always respect, always DrinkWise message by displaying materials in their venues throughout the State of Origin series.
Always respect, always DrinkWise – 2022 Ampol State of Origin Series
As part of the Always respect, always DrinkWise awareness campaign NSW Blues stars Cameron Murray (South Sydney Rabbitohs Captain) and Kirra Dibb (Newcastle Knights) and QLD Maroons greats Felise Kaufusi (Melbourne Storm) and Tarryn Aiken (Brisbane Broncos) encouraged fans to have a safe and enjoyable State of Origin experience.
The Always respect, always DrinkWise messaging was also promoted throughout the State of Origin series across the digital channels of NSW Police, the NRL and DrinkWise and supported by social media messages from Murray, Dibb, Kaufusi and Aiken. Liquor Accords in NSW and Queensland displayed messaging at licensed pubs and venues in and around the stadium precincts.
Always respect, always DrinkWise – 2021 NRL Finals Series
Penrith Panthers star Matt Burton and Sydney Roosters NRLW captain Corban Baxter joined forces with DrinkWise, the NSW Police and local NSW Liquor Accords for the Always respect, always DrinkWise campaign.
As part of the awareness campaign, Burton and Baxter recorded messages to NRL fans.