DOVETON FOOTBALL CLUB
RACIAL AND RELIGIOUS
TOLERANCE POLICY
Section
1 Commitment
1.1. The
Doveton Football Club is
committed to an environment which promotes racial and religious
tolerance by prohibiting certain conduct and providing a means
of redress for victims of racial and religious vilification
and/or racial discrimination.
1.2. The
Club is bound by the Racial and Religious
Tolerance Act 2001 (Vic), the Racial
Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth), and the Equal
Opportunity Act 1995 (Vic) (the legislation). This
Policy is consistent with the legislation and the Australian
Football League's Rule 30 and the Victorian Football League's
Rule 7.3. This Policy is not in substitution of
the legislation.
1.3 The
Club will ensure that this Policy is communicated to spectators
and participants of the Club. It will also ensure
that participants of the Club receive anti-racial and religious
vilification and racial discrimination training on an annual
basis.
1.4 Nothing
in this Policy prevents a person lodging a complaint in relation
to racial and religious vilification and/or racial
discrimination under the legislation. In the event a complaint
is made under this policy the Club shall ensure that the parties
are informed of their rights.
Section
2 Definitions
In this
Policy-
"complaints
process" means the procedure outlined in
sections 6, 7 and 8 of this Policy.
"Club" means
the Doveton Football Club
“engage
in conduct” includes
use of the internet or email to publish or transmit statements
or other material.
"League" means
the Mornington Peninsula Nepean Football League.
"detriment" includes
humiliation and denigration.
"discrimination" means
for the purpose of this Policy, conduct based on a person's
race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin.
Discrimination may be direct or indirect. Direct
discrimination means treating or proposing to treat another
person less favourably on the basis of a person’s race,
religion, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin. Indirect
discrimination means imposing or intending to impose a
requirement that a person of a particular race, religion,
colour, descent or national or ethnic origin cannot comply with,
but which a higher proportion of people without that attribute
(or with a different attribute) can, when it is not reasonable
in the circumstances to do so.
"participant" includes
a player, director, officer, employee, volunteer to and agent of
a Football Club that participates in the League.
"spectator" is
a person that attends a football game or event conducted by a
Club or the League.
Section
3 Prohibited Conduct
3.1 Racial
and Religious Vilification
No person
in his/her capacity as a spectator or participant in the League
in the course of carrying out his/her duties or functions as or
incidental to being a participant in the League shall engage in
conduct that offends, humiliates, intimidates, contempts,
ridicules, incites, threatens, disparages, vilifies or insults
another person on the basis of that person's race, religion,
colour, descent or national or ethnic origin.
3.2 Serious
Racial and Religious Vilification
No person
in his/her capacity as a spectator or participant in the Club in
the course of carrying out his/her duties of functions as or
incidental to being a participant in the Club shall
intentionally engage in conduct that he/she knows Is likely to
incite hatred against another person, or threaten physical harm
or incite hatred in others to cause physical harm to a person or
to a person's property because of that person's race, religion,
colour, descent or national or ethnic origin.
3.3 Racial
and Religious discrimination
No person
in his/her capacity as a spectator or participant in the Club in
the course of carrying out his/her duties or functions as or
incidental to being a participant in the Club shall engage in
conduct that discriminates, directly or indirectly against
another person on the basis of that person's race, religion,
colour, descent or national or ethnic origin.
3.4 Victimisation
3.4.1 No
person in his/her capacity as a spectator or participant in the
Club in the course of carrying out his/her duties or functions
as or incidental to being a participant in the Club shall
victimise another person.
3.4.2 A
person will victimise another person (the victim) if:
(a) the
person subjects or threatens to subject the victim to any
detriment because the victim (or a person associated with the
victim) intends to or has lodged a complaint in contravention of
this Policy; or
(b) the
person assists, requests, induces, encourages or authorises
another person to subject the victim to any detriment because
the victim (or a person associated with the victim) intends to
or has lodged a complaint in contravention of this Policy.
Section
4 Authorised Persons
4.1 The
Club will appoint a Complaints Officer (the Club’s Complaints
Officer) to ensure that any breach of this Policy is
responded to in an equitable and prompt manner.
4.2 The
President of the Club (the President) is the
senior decision-maker in the Club's Complaints Process. Therefore,
should the President be absent for a significant period, he/she
must nominate a person to act on his/her behalf should the
process need to be enacted.
Section
5 Confidentiality and Records
5.1 Confidentiality
must be maintained throughout the complaints process. All
parties to a complaint, the President (or Delegate), the Club’s
Complaints Officer, any witnesses and the Conciliator must all
agree, in writing, to the maintenance of confidentiality. No
person involved in the complaints process shall publicly comment
on any aspect of the complaints process without the prior
written agreement of all parties.
5.2 The
Club shall ensure that any documents relating to a complaint
shall remain confidential and be retained for 7 years from the
date that the complaint is made.
Section
6 Inter club Breach of the Policy
In the
event that it is alleged that a spectator or participant from
another Club has contravened this Policy:
6.1 an
Umpire, spectator or participant of the Club may by 5.00pm on
the first working day following the day on which the
contravention is alleged to have occurred, lodge a complaint in
writing with Complaint’s Officer of the Club;
6.2 the
Complaint's Officer of the Club where the complaint was made
shall, by 5.00pm on the next working day following the day that
the complaint was lodged with the Club, lodge the complaint with
the League's Complaints Officer;
6.3 the
Club's Complaints Officer will take no further action once the
complaint has been lodged with the League unless otherwise
instructed by the League's Complaints Officer.
Section
7 Intra Club Breach of the Policy
In the
event that it is alleged that a participant of the Club has
contravened this Policy an umpire, spectator or participant may
by 5.00pm on the first working day following the day on which
the contravention is alleged to have occurred, lodge a complaint
in writing with the Club’s Complaints Officer.
Section
8 Management of Intra Club Complaints
The Club's
Complaints Officer shall:
8.1 make
every effort to ensure that:
8.1.1 confidentiality
is maintained at all times during the complaints process and
that the outcome of the complaints process remains confidential;
8.1.2 any
breach of confidentiality is referred to the Mornington
Peninsula Nepean Football League’s Tribunal no later than 5pm on
the next working day following the day that the breach was
discovered;
8.2 inform
the person alleged to have contravened the Policy (the
respondent) of the complaint and provide the respondent with
an opportunity to respond to it;
8.3 inform
only the President of the Club or Nominee, that a Complaint has
been received by the Complaints Officer;
8.4 obtain
written statements from any witnesses identified by both parties
to the complaint;
8.5 where
available, obtain any other evidence;
8.6 arrange
for the complaint to be conciliated, by an independent
conciliator agreed upon by both parties;
8.7 take
all steps necessary for the complaint to be conciliated within 5
working days from the day on which the incident is alleged to
have occurred;
8.8 refer
the complaint to the League's Tribunal:
8.8.1 when
the complainant informs the Complaints Officer that the matter
has not been resolved through conciliation. The Complaints
Officer will if requested by the complainant, take all steps
necessary for the complaint to be referred to League's Tribunal
within 5 working days from when the conciliation failed;
8.8.2 directly
when a respondent has previously taken part in conciliation as a
respondent of a complaint;
8.8.3 when
both the Club's Complaints Officer and President have determined
that the complaint was lacking in substance and was made
vexatiously;
8.8.4 when
both the Club's Complaints Officer and President determine that
under sections 24 or 25 of the Racial and
Religious Tolerance Act 2001 (Vic) the
complaint could be considered as "serious", he/she will take all
steps necessary for the complaint to be referred to the League's
Tribunal within 5 working days from the day on which the
incident is alleged to have occurred;
8.9 ensure
that any time limit referred to in this Policy may be extended
by the Club if in the opinion of the President of the Club it is
just and equitable to do so;
8.10 ensure
that where a matter is resolved by conciliation the only public
statement that shall be made shall be agreed to by both parties
to the complaint and the Club's President and that the terms of
any settlement are finalised to the satisfaction of the
complainant and respondent and signed by the parties and the
conciliator.
Section
9 Club's Liability
The Club
may be vicariously liable for conduct engaged in by a
participant which if found to have contravened this Policy, if
the Club is unable to establish that it took reasonable
precautions to prevent the participant from engaging in that
conduct.
Section
10 Monitoring and Review of the Policy
The Policy
will be monitored on an ongoing basis by the Doveton Football
Club's Committee.
Section
11 Policy Commencement
This Policy
was passed by the Doveton Football Club's Committee on Tuesday
the 2nd June 2009 and was reviewed 1st March
2010 as part of the Annual Policy review process.
DOVETON FOOTBALL CLUB
SMOKEFREE POLICY
The Doveton Football
Club recognised that passive smoking (inhaling
second-hand smoke) is hazardous to health and that non-smokers
should be protected from tobacco smoke. Passive
smoking can lead to other serious illnesses such as bronchitis,
lung cancer, cardiovascular disease, and chest illnesses in
children. Accordingly the following policy has
been developed by the Doveton Football Club to
help protect people’s health.
The move to
go SmokeFree also complements the Doveton Football Clubs desire
to create a healthy family friendly environment. The
Doveton Football Club believes that such an environment and
image will be advantageous in attracting new members and
positively promoting the club in the community.
Legislation
and the legal duty of care also provide reasons to have a
SmokeFree club. Under common law the Doveton
Football Club has a legal duty of care to ensure that employees,
volunteers, players and officials are not exposed to potentially
harmful situations. The Occupational Health and
Safety Act also stipulates that employees and working volunteers
must have a safe environment to work in. Victorian
SmokeFree dining legislation also states that enclosed dining
areas must be SmokeFree.
This policy
applies to all members, administrators, officials, coaches,
players and visitors of the Doveton Football Club.
This policy
has been reviewed 1st March 2010 as part
of the Annual Policy review process.
The Doveton
Football Club requires the following areas to be SmokeFree:
· Club
and social rooms
· Administration
and office areas
· Changing
rooms
· Toilet
blocks
· Indoor
spectator viewing areas
· Playing
areas
· Eating
areas
· Grandstands
and spectator viewing areas
The Doveton
Football Club will refrain from selling tobacco products.
Behavioural Expectations
The Doveton
Football Club recognises that role modelling can have a
significant impact upon the junior members of the club. Hence,
the following individuals and groups will refrain from smoking
while they are acting in an official capacity for the club or
while in club uniform:
· Coaches
(when coaching or representing the club)
· Trainers
(when training players)
· Officials
(when officiating for the club)
· Volunteers
(when working for the club)
· Players
(when in uniform and representing the club)
Coaches and
trainers will also speak to junior players about the effects of
smoking on performance.
The
following mediums will remind patrons about the Doveton Football
Club’s SmokeFree policy:
· Non-smoking
signs
· Club
website
· Advertising
and promotional resources (eg brochures, newspaper ads etc)
· Club
correspondence (letters, faxes, e-mails etc)
· Announcements
· Table
signage
· Function
speeches
· Signage
Ashtrays
will be removed from the clubrooms to discourage smoking.
Cigarette
butt bins will be provided outside to encourage smokers to smoke
outside.
The
following five step non-compliance strategy will be followed if
anyone breaches the Doveton Football Club’s SmokeFree policy.
1. Assume
that the person is unaware of the SmokeFree policy.
2. A
staff member or club representative will approach the person
breaching the policy and politely ask them to refrain from
smoking and remind them about the SmokeFree policy.
3. If
the offence continues, then the most senior staff member or most
senior club representative will verbally warn them again and
hand over a formally written letter that outlines the club’s
policy on smoking. The offending patron must also
be made aware that if they don’t stop smoking then they will be
required to leave the club’s facility. The club’s
management committee will sign off on the letter. This
letter will be pre-written and kept both behind the bar and at
the ground so that copies are readily available.
4. If
the offence does continue then the patron will be escorted out
of the facility by staff and/or a senior club representative.
5. Under
no circumstances should the Doveton Football Club’s SmokeFree
policy be breached: No matter who the offender is.
The policy
will be reviewed three months after its introduction and then on
an annual basis thereafter. This will ensure that
the policy remains current and practical.
CODE OF CONDUCT
Reviewed:
November 2009
Doveton Football Club Inc. is committed to upholding its values. This can only be achieved through the commitment of all club members, supporters, team management and players. By committing to our values, team satisfaction and performance will improve and we will all better achieve our club and personal goals.
In adhering to the Code of Conduct, all club members, supporters, team management and players will uphold our Club’s values of:
· A sense of social and community values.
· An environment to nurture the physical and mental development of our youth.
· Respect for officials, opposition players and supporters.
· The virtues of fair and disciplined play.
They will be realised by providing as far as reasonable:
· Competent coaches and assistants
· Adequate facilities, amenities and equipment
· Supervised social functions encouraging family participation
· Regular communication and consultation with players and members
· Active leadership and management of the Club.
All players, Coaches and Officials, members, supporters and Committee members have a responsibility at all times when representing the Doveton Football Club to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner consistent with these values and this Code of Conduct.
All matches and club functions shall be conducted in a manner that ensures members and/or visitors are able to participate and enjoy the occasion without being affected by irresponsible or unruly behavior.
This Code of Conduct requires all members & supporters of Doveton Football Club to adhere to the following guidelines as sanctioned by the Committee of Management.
· respect each other and our visitors at all times;
· not verbally, physically abuse or threaten any person;
· not dispute any decision in a threatening or derogatory manner;
· not use abusive or obscene language in public;
· abide by the club guidelines in relation to drug and alcohol policies.
· through
their actions and behavior, promote the club at the highest
possible level.
Any action by a player which jeopardizes the welfare or reputation of the club, team or team mates shall cause the offender to explain his actions before one or two senior members of the committee. This will be known as the Disciplinary Committee.
A player may ask to have any witness or person helpful to their case appear before the committee. A player may ask to delay a hearing for work, personal reasons or availability of witnesses for up to one week.
If an action is found by the committee then it will be categorized as minor, serious or grave as set out in the disciplinary categorization section.
PLAYER
OBLIGATIONS
The player agrees to play with the club in accordance with
the following terms and conditions:-
1. Attend
all training sessions and team meetings of the Club. The
club allows a maximum of five (5) non training sessions in
the case of illness, work etc. Any non attendance at a
training session must be communicated to the coaching staff
prior to the scheduled time of commencement. Should any
player take more than 5 sessions off, he will be subject to
a 20% fine.
2. Obey
all reasonable directions of the Coaching Panel, President,
and Club committee members.
3. Play
in all football matches in which he is selected to play or
as otherwise directed by the Club unless a duly qualified
Medical Practitioner rules him unfit to play.
4. Comply
with all reasonable requirements of the Club relating to
preparation for matches, attendance at social functions,
behaviour and dress.
5. Do
everything reasonably necessary to obtain and maintain the
best possible physical condition so as to render the most
efficient service to the Club and yourself, and to submit
from time to time and as and when required by the Club to a
complete and thorough medical fitness test and examination.
6. Attend
all fixtured matches including when injured or suspended in
full club match uniform being club polo, club jacket, black
slacks and black shoes, (not runners).
7. Agree
that if found guilty of an offence brought before the League
tribunal that any fine imposed be paid by the player.
8. Not
comment publicly on club matters
DRUGS: Any
Player found selling, using or in possession of any illicit
drug whilst representing the Doveton Football Club Inc will
have his playing services terminated.
Disciplinary Categorization
MINOR
OFFENCE:
1st time A
warning will be given.
2nd time A
possible suspension from playing or suspended sentence.
3rd time (or worse) Suspended from
playing from 1 game to indefinite.
SERIOUS
OFFENCE:
1st time Suspended
sentence or suspended for 1 to 4 games.
Repeat Suspended
indefinitely or registration cancelled.
GRAVE
OFFENCE:
1st time Suspended
indefinitely or registration cancelled.
Repeat Registration
cancelled.
All players
will have their hearing and results within one (1) working week
of notification;
they must appear before the Disciplinary Committee. In the event
of the player asking for a delay, the working week will start
from the time of the hearing's commencement.
MINOR
OFFENCES include:
Actions likely
to cause the player to be reported under M.P.N.F.L. rules,
umpire abuse, team mate abuse, interaction with opposing
supporters, disobeying coaching instructions, deliberately
causing disharmony among the playing, group, arguing with team
mates, coaching or support staff, vilifying in any manner, team
mates, coaching or support staff, endangering the health of team
mates or self, failing to alert coaching, staff of
unavailability to play or train or any action the coaching,
staff may see causing harm to the club.
SERIOUS
OFFENCES include:
Physically
dangerous actions towards team mates, opposition or others,
playing or training while intoxicated with alcohol, receiving a
2nd yellow card in one season, for language abuse of trainers or
water carriers, including opposition.
GRAVE
OFFENCES include:
Physical attacks on team mates, coaching and support staff, physical attacks on any non playing personnel from another club, playing or training under the influence of illegal drugs, disclosing confidential information to opposing teams, racial vilification of opponents, team mates or any person at the ground.