Essendon has thrown its support behind the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation and AFL Victoria’s upcoming Love the Game round this weekend.

The round will see all 10 Victorian AFL elite clubs, 23 leagues and commissions, and local community clubs remind members, fans, players and staff that sport and betting don’t have to go together.

Experienced Bomber Brendon Goddard is right behind the initiative and said the sport was more safely accessible for young fans when he was growing up.

“There was no doubt it was safer as a viewer and as a kid watching the game, (the) odds and the ability to bet wasn’t plastered all over the television,” Goddard said.

“It was definitely a safer place for kids to watch football without having promotional stuff about betting, how easy it was to bet and (having) odds shoved into your face 24/7.”

Goddard said it is important for young people to be able to separate football from gambling and encouraged fans to love the game, not the odds.

“I think there’s this perception that to enjoy the game you need to bet on it and I think we need to remove that perception, because it isn’t true.

“You don’t need to know odds or recite odds to actually enjoy the game. Sit back as a fan, enjoy it for what it is.”

He also called on parents to ‘have the talk’ with their children about gambling to help change the attitude towards the sport.

“I encourage all parents to educate their kids just around taking the game for what it is.”

The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s acting CEO, Craig Swift, reinforced Goddard’s sentiments.

“It’s alarming that 75 per cent of teenagers think betting is a normal part of sport,” Swift said.

“This is why the Love the Game round serves as a good reminder to adults that sport and betting don’t have to go together, and to share with the kids in their life the many things they love about footy that have nothing to do with the odds.”