Essendon legend and Powercor Country Festival champion Kevin Sheedy recently hit the road for a special video series True Country - stories of the Powercor Country Festival.

Sheedy is the brainchild of the Powercor Country Festival - a concept Essendon and Geelong started in 2016 to celebrate the role country Victorians play in our community through a pre-season match and a blockbuster game between the two clubs during the premiership season.

Ahead of this week's sixth annual Powercor Country Festival game, Sheedy teamed up with Victorian Youth Lifesaver of the Year (2020) Lucas Karlson on the road to show gratitude to some country Victorians who have done something that we can all be grateful for.

Too often the stories of country Victorians are stories of hardship, and while this hardship has built a tough resilience in the people of the country, it’s not their only story.

Let's meet some special country Victorians.

Tim and Mary Ann Holt

Watch how Tim and Mary Ann Holt, landowners in the Mount Gellibrand Wind Farm, make their land available to generate clean energy for all of us to use.

Bellarine Estate

Watch Peter Kenny from Bellarine Estate, who explains how he was able to use his business to shift gears to help a social battle during lockdown for Victorians.

Sharkey Farm

We speak with Kate Sharkey to showcase how her family is proof that there’s great innovation happening in regional Victoria, and how this innovation is behind some of the great food we get to enjoy in the city.

Wye River Park

After a year defined by the words “social isolation”, we show our gratitude towards operators such as Wye River Caravan Park who provided Victorians with an opportunity to escape and connect with their family and friends.