Coverage
What is covered?
Refer to the following policies for information about what is covered by the Football West Insurance Program for individuals and for Football West clubs, branches, associations (and their member clubs), and referee branches.
Personal accident
The Football West Personal Accident insurance covers all players and/or non playing officials that are injured while engaged in sanctioned activities by Football West.
Public & Products Liability
The Policy is designed to protect Individuals, Associations and Clubs with respect to their legal liability arising from third parties in relation to personal injury and property damage.
Management Liability
The Policy provides protection for Associations, Clubs and its Directors, Officers and Committee Members as a result of any alleged wrongful act whilst undertaking their roles in an official capacity.
Professional Indemnity
The Policy provides coverage for an Insured's legal liability for breach of professional duty resulting from an act, error or omission committed by or on behalf of the Insured.
Should you wish to learn more amount these Policies, please click below
Submitting a claim
Individual, Member and Official Claims
For all Personal Accident claims, The insured person is to fully complete all sections in the claims portal. You will need to provide details of your injury and the activity in which it occurred.
In order to submit your claim online - please visit
Association and Club Claims
For all claims relating to Public and Products Liability, Professional Indemnity and Management Liability. Notify Gow-Gates immediately of your intention to lodge a liability claim via one of the following options
Do not admit liability under any circumstances.
Optional Personal Injury Top Up Cover
The Individual Loss of Income Top-Up Cover for the National Member Federation’s Group Personal Accident programme covers all appropriately registered players and/or non-playing officials of the Insured that are injured while engaged in activities sanctioned by participating State & Territory Federations.
Subject to the policy wording and eligibility criteria, the TopUp cover provides to increase the Weekly Injury benefit to the maximum amounts set out below:
- To a maximum of $500 per week, or;
- to a maximum of $750 per week
This Top-Up Cover will be payable for an injury sustained whilst playing, or engaging in sanctioned football activities for registered participants.
Cover applies whilst participating in official football matches as well as:
Sanctioned trials, training, travelling between home / work and training or games, staying away from home for a tour and administrative and social activities for your club.
Please ensure you read all important documents including the Target Market Determination (TMD) and Combined Product Disclose Statement and Policy Wording before deciding if this product is suitable, as your personal circumstances have not been considered.
Club & Association Requirements
Property
Gow-Gates can assist your club by covering the following items under a Sports Property Insurance Package:
- Buildings, Clubhouses, Storage Containers, Equipment Sheds and Grandstands
- Goals, Training Equipment and Sporting Apparel
- Stock & Inventory (including canteen supplies, jerseys and other miscellaneous items)
- Electronic Equipment
- High Value Medical Items (defibrillators - AEDS)
Are your asset's adequately protected?
In the unfortunate circumstance that something happens to your clubhouse, your vital gear and equipment may not be covered for loss.
Gow-Gates understands what goes into running a sports club and that you need to insure more than just bricks and mortar. We also understand that one size does not fit all and can tailor a package that protects your club's property against:
- Fire, flood, storm, accidental damage
- Loss of profits
- Theft
- Theft of money
- Broken glass
- Machinery breakdown
How to apply for the Sporting Club Insurance: Simply complete the Sports Property Insurance Form.
Travel Insurance
Liability cover is excluded in USA and Canada.
Although the Sports Injury insurance provides limited cover for players overseas, it is recommended that additional Travel Insurance be effected for all players, coaches and officials to compliment the cover provided.
Travel Insurance policies generally provide high limits of medical expense coverage (the Football West policy limits medical expenses to $5,000 per injury and does not include coverage for illness) as well as other covers such as baggage, money, loss of deposits, cancellation of travel, emergency assistance and repatriation, etc.
If effecting travel insurance separately it is important the policy does not exclude injuries arising from playing Football.
Generally, a Travel Insurance policy can be arranged with an insurance company which compliments the existing Sports Injury coverage and does not exclude injuries resulting from Football.
Overseas Players
Players who are not residents of Australia, and sustain an injury at a sanctioned event, are eligible to lodge a claim under the Non-Medicare Medical Expense's section of the Football West Insurance Program. However, it should be noted that they may not be covered under Medicare.
Who can enrol:
- An Australian citizen
- A New Zealand citizen
- An Australian permanent resident
- An overseas resident applying for permanent residency
- A temporary resident covered by a ministerial
Furthermore, you may be able to enrol if you're visiting from a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement approved nation.
Overseas players not entitled to Medicare should arrange appropriate travel insurance before traveling to Australia and apply for private health insurance whilst in Australia tailored for non-residents. Some Private Health Funds offer cover for overseas residents, information can be found on their websites.
Please see the below links should you wish to learn more:
- Medicare | myGov
- https://www.nib.com.au/overseas-health-insurance/
- https://www.hbf.com.au/health-insurance/overseas
Risk Management
It is recommended that a designated "Responsible and/or Risk Management Officer" is appointed, within your Club's organisational structure, to ensure this information is made available to all Club Directors, Staff, Participants and Volunteers.
Please use the following link to access the "Safe Football Poster"
Injury Prevention
The Football Australia Perform+ was developed in 2020 as the primary injury prevention program for football in Australia.
The Football Australia Perform+ is an updated version of the 11+ program with more flexibility for coaches and new content targeting hip and groin injury prevention.
To use this, please click the following link:
Other Club Resources
What is Duty of Care?
What is Personal Accident Insurance and How does it work?
Risk Management
Certificate of Currency
A Certificate of Currency (CoC) is proof that your Association/Club holds a current insurance policy. Typically, local councils or third parties will request to sight your Associations/Clubs Public and Products Liability CoC to confirm that the policy covers the following party for their respective rights and interests.
In order to request a Certificate of Currency, please complete the below fields.
Couldn't access your Club's Certificate of Currency
Please fill out the form below.
The policy does automatically include the interest of additional parties as follows:
Every principal, in respect of that principal's vicarious or contingent liability for the acts or omissions of one of the Insureds in the performance by them of work for that principal, but subject always to the extent of coverage and the Limit of Liability provided by this Policy.
A Certificate of Currency can be provided naming an interested party in line with the above.
Important documents
- Personal Accident Policy Schedule
- Personal Accident Policy Wording
- Public Liability Policy Schedule
- Public Liability Policy Wording
For other Policy Documents, please contact football@gowgates.com.au
Frequently Asked Questions
Health Insurance Act 1973
Unfortunately, the Health Insurance Act 1973 does not allow a policy of this type to cover expenses for which any Medicare rebate is made.
126 Prohibition of certain medical insurance
(1) A person shall not make a contract of insurance with another person that contains a provision purporting to make the first-mentioned person liable to make a payment in the event of the incurring by the other person of a liability to pay medical expenses in respect of the rendering in Australia of a professional service for which Medicare benefit is, or but for subsection 18(4) would be, payable.
Medical expenses for which there is no benefit payable by Medicare are still claimable. These include Ambulance, Physio, Private Hospital Accommodation and Dental amongst others.
Councils cannot be noted as a named Insured on the Policy. They can be listed as an interested party on Certificates of Currency, which is a legal document that demonstrates you have Public Liability Insurance. Please click here to request a Certificate of Currency for your Public Liability policy.
A spectator who is injured cannot make a claim on the Sports Personal Injury policy. If a spectator was injured and decided to seek damages from the club alleging the club's negligence, then the General Liability policy would respond. Important, you must not admit Liability without the Insurers consent. Any claim made by a spectator must be referred to the Insurer as soon as possible for their instructions.
The Football West Insurance Programme extends to cover insured players and officials whilst overseas for representative and/or club matches as long as all players and officials are registered with the Club and the tour is officially sanctioned by Football West and the Host Federation.
Although the policy covers persons whilst overseas, we recommend that Travel Insurance be affected for all players and officials to compliment the cover provided. Travel Insurance policies generally provide high limits of medical expense coverage as well as other covers such as baggage, money, loss of deposits, emergency assistance etc.
If required, we can arrange travel insurance for the touring party with which compliments the existing Sports Injury coverage and does not exclude injuries resulting from Football. To arrange a quote please contact Gow-Gates.
Football West Insurance Program
Matches for schools who are not playing in Football West competitions do not fit within that scope of cover.
If you belong to a school team who plays in Football West competitions, then you are covered under the insurance programme whilst playing in those Football West Competitions. Should you wish to seek clarification on this, please consult Football West.
First talk to Gow-Gates, ask for claims staff for the Football West Insurance Programme.
If this does not resolve the matter or you are not satisfied with the way a complaint has been dealt with, you should contact the Complaints Manager on 02 8267 9999 or put your complaint in writing to info@gowgates.com.au or by mail at:
Complaints Officer
Gow-Gates Insurance Brokers
GPO Box 4731
Sydney NSW 2001
Please mark the envelope "Notice of Complaint". We will endeavor to resolve your complaint quickly and fairly.
If your complaint cannot be resolved to your satisfaction within 21 days, you may have the right to refer the matter to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA).
