The Bulldogs are making strong statement on road safety this weekend with players and Mr Ashby wearing zero on the back of their jumpers pre-match to support the Transport Accident Commission’s Towards Zero campaign.

Their aim is to reinforce the message zero is the only acceptable number of deaths on Victorian roads.

Mr Ashby, at the invitation of the Bulldogs and TAC, will toss the coin for the club’s clash against Port Adelaide at Mars Stadium on Sunday.

The Ashby family is all involved with Eliza, age nine, running out with the team as junior Bulldogs’ mascot and also wearing the zero guernsey. Christian’s wife Karen and son Patrick, five, will be part of a guard of honour as the Bulldogs step on to Mars.

Mr Ashby said the TAC and his beloved Bulldogs had been incredible in his recovery journey.

The keen triathlete was knocked off his bike by a car and left fighting for his life while on an early morning ride about Lake Wendouree on Good Friday two years ago. Mr Ashby was in an induced coma for 10 days and awoke to initial concerns he would never walk again.

“Unfortunately we all tend to go through the motions whether on a bike, walking or driving on the road,” Mr Ashby said.

Bulldogs captain Easton Wood and hometown hero Jordan Roughead have kept in close contact with Mr Ashby since his five-month hospital stay, regularly checking in to see how he is going or to say hello. They brought him the AFL Premiership Cup for a look after the club’s 2016 win and Roughead even called in to wish him a Merry Christmas.

Mr Ashby said the TAC had strongly supported his recovery, not just financially, but also with great compassion and practical support, like goal setting.

But Mr Ashby wants to help make sure no-one else has to endure anything like he has experienced. Still feeling plenty of aches and pains, Mr Ashby said he was still adapting to a new life to keep moving forward.

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