Footy club makes positive alcohol play

Busselton Football Club has signed up to a national program which aims to break the bond between booze and sport.

Good Sports is an initiative of the Australian Drug Foundation which provides free support to sporting clubs to change their culture and reduce high-risk drinking.

Under the program, clubs aim to focus more on young people, families and sport participation and less on drinking alcohol.

Busselton Football Club president Rob Whitten told the _Times _ they decided to sign up to Good Sports at their annual general meeting earlier this year.

Whitten said members knew they had "not the greatest reputation" on alcohol consumption.

"We thought there was plenty of education to learn out of that and promote to the town that we are responsible in the way we serve and consume alcohol at the Busselton Football Club," he said.

"We have implemented some changes. One thing we'd never done is put out non-alcoholic drinks after a match for the older grades and surprisingly they're probably the first ones to be drunk."

Mr Whitten said they were also very strict about adhering to the terms of their liquor licence and discouraging underage drinking and drink-driving.