WA Football hosts AFL Multicultural Round eventsFriday, July 8, 2016 - 3:50 PM

The West Australian Football Commission (WAFC) has celebrated and recognised the growing engagement between Australian Football and multicultural communities at a number of special events it has hosted as part of AFL Multicultural Round 16 (July 7 – 10).

The AFL Round is an opportunity to celebrate the many cultures that exists within Australia and the different perspectives, backgrounds and identities that make our game unique.

The WAFC hosted its annual Cultural Diversity Breakfast on Wednesday, July 6 and will host the Yorga’s Koodjal Kadajiny (Women’s Two-Way Learning Match) on Saturday, July 9.

Guests at the Cultural Diversity Breakfast heard from AFL Multicultural Ambassadors including West Coast player Nic Naitanui, Tendai Mzungu from the Fremantle Dockers and WA female football player Sabrina Federick-Traub.

Nic Naitanui is Fijian and works one day a week at the WAFC supporting the ongoing development of the West Australian multicultural strategy and the Naitanui Talent Academy.

Tendai Mzungu is Zimbabwean and works on the multicultural programs in a number of local communities across WA.

Sabrina Federick-Traub is English and supports the AFL's female multicultural talent strategy through a number of development programs including the WAFC Female Ambassador program.
 
Also during the Multicultural Round of AFL and in-line with NAIDOC week celebrations, Indigenous and non-Indigenous WA female football players will come together to play in a Women’s Two-Way Learning Match at Lathlain Park on Saturday, July 9.

The match will kick off at 5pm at the conclusion of the Perth v Subiaco Round 16 NAIDOC WAFL clash. 

WAFC Commuity Engagement Manager Paul Mugambwa said it is important we highlight the contribution multicultural and Indigenous communities have made to the game's history and welcome new communities to embrace in the future.

"It's important the WAFC continues to reach out to culturally and linguistically diverse players to further grow the game and build better, stronger communities," Mugambwa said.

"Football has extraordinary power in uniting all people of all backgrounds and it's crucial we continue to develop ways in which everyone can be a part of the sport."

The WAFC also hosted a Ramadan Dinner on Saturday, June 25 in recognition of the holy Islamic month of Ramadan and to celebrate the growing engagement between AFL and the Islamic communities of Perth.

In line with AFL Multicultural Round we take a look at the WAFC's Multicultural Program being run at Melville Senior High School, in which more than 100 Intensive English Centre (IEC) students got the chance to learn basic football skills.

Click here to read more about this program.