More than $1.8 million will go towards 12 initiatives through the Victorian Government’s Preventing Violence Through Sport Grants Program.

Melbourne Storm, NRL Victoria and the National Rugby League will be backed with $128,500 to expand the Storm Stand Up, Speak Out and Take Action project.

Building on Our Watch's Equality and Respect in Sport and the NRL’s Voice Against Violence, funding for the project will support NRL role models to engage with community clubs to strengthen prevention through workshops and training drills.

CEO of Melbourne Storm Justin Rodski said this valuable grant will help us to spread the important message that gender-based violence has no place in our community.

Other recipients include the Collingwood, Dandenong, Gippsland, Wallan, Southern Peninsula, Bendigo and Broadmeadows Basketball Associations which will together receive $160,000 to develop intervention and prevention programs.

This will see associated basketball teams pilot a program for 13 to 18-year-olds, which includes training for coaches, gender equality action plans and bystander training.

More than $140,000 will also go towards Mildura Rural City Council to extend their ‘Mildura Kicking Goals for Gender Equity Program’.

This project will see the Council engage with Sunraysia Football Netball League, Sunraysia Cricket Association and Football Federation Sunraysia to present education sessions to help change the attitudes of young men.

The program is part of the Government’s strategy to prevent family violence and the grants will support new and existing sport partnerships to develop and deliver gender equality action plans, gender equity and prevention of violence against women workshops, and bystander action training.

The grants will also support funded partners to implement the Government’s Guidelines for Preventing Violence Against Women: taking action through community sport. For more information about the program and funded projects visit Preventing Violence Through Sport Grants Program