David Hille says the Bombers will be playing for more than the four points when they come up against Collingwood on Friday night in this weekend's Road Safety Round.
The round, dedicated to raising awareness around the importance of wearing a seatbelt while on the road, will see a red seatbelt incorporated into the sash on the Essendon guernsey.
Hille, who survived a car accident that took the lives of three of his friends, says the guernseys represent all people who have been affected by road trauma.
""This week's match definitely has added meaning and the Essendon guernseys on Friday night represent much more than the individuals wearing them,"" Hille said.
“My experience is something that I will carry with me for the rest of my life and I guess this weekend offers Essendon Football Club a wonderful platform to promote the road safety message.
“I hope that as a result of the awareness raised from the match, young individuals like myself, who don’t quite understand the ramifications of their choices think about the choices they are making and look after one another.
""They need to stand up for each other by making the right choice to put that seat belt on.""
Hille, the official AFL face of the campaign, says had a similar initiative been implemented when he was younger, it may have made a difference to his life.
“The reality is that young people at the age of 18 do not necessarily make the right choices and no matter how good a person they are, they can still make poor decisions,"" Hille said.
""We need to try and increase their awareness around the ramifications of their actions. This has been an ongoing battle for the TAC and our community and will be challenge for our community for a long time to come.
""However we have an opportunity, and supporters have an opportunity this weekend, to get behind something that can make a difference in the broader community.""
Hille said that his role as AFL ambassador could impact more people than any act he could perform on the football field.
The VFL and TAC Cup competitions are also backing the initiative, with the Bendigo Bombers, Coburg Tigers, Bendigo Pioneers and Oakleigh Chargers to wear seatbelt jumpers for their games across the weekend.
