GRANT Dooley’s roots in Williamstown are as entrenched as Point Gellibrand is as the home of the Seagulls.
Dooley’s mother Janet has been working in the club’s kiosk for more than 60 years, his father was secretary of the club in the 1970s and Bill Dooley, a leviathan bookmaker, club president and one-time benefactor of the club, is a great uncle.
One of the first things he did on returning home from more than 20 years overseas was to accept an invitation to become a director of the Williamstown Football Club.
Although he spent such a long time away, much of it in China, where one of his positions was as the Consular General for Australia of Guangzhou, he never lost his love of Australian Rules.
Wherever he travelled in foreign affairs, Dooley pretty much played footy and started up clubs, initially with ex-pats, but over time drew the interest and participation of the Chinese.
With the help of ex-Hawthorn player Tony Woods, along with the AFL, Dooley helped establish the South China Australian Football League.
It proved the genesis for his idea for the WFC to sponsor the South China Australian Football League and football development in southern China.
Another initiate was for the Williamstown Football Club Asian Community Football Day at Point Gellibrand on August 11.
And, one of the players to play for the Williamstown Asian All Stars to take on the South Dragons, an all Asian team, is Chinese star player Chen Xiao Liang.
Dooley said Xiao Liang is an exciting player who has embraced and loves Aussie Rules.
Williamstown president Trevor Monti described next month’s Asian Community Day as a benchmark day for the club.
Monti noted that Williamstown, one of the code’s oldest clubs, considers itself a leader in Melbourne’s ethnically-diverse western suburbs, and hopes the initiative can play its part in promoting greater integration, respect and cultural understanding among an ever increasing diverse population.
He said the Asian Community Football Day is just a part of the club’s broader efforts to promote Aussie Rules football and links with Asia.
Dooley noted that one in 10 people living in Australia are of Asian origins and a large number of them are not engaged in Australian Rules.
“And, in the western region where Williamstown is, the percentage of Asians is even higher so we should be exploring ways of greater integration in the game,” Dooley said.
“We want this to become part of the Williamstown Football Club calendar each year.”
Also on hand to promote the match will be a host of Geelong and Western Bulldogs players.
Gate receipts from the match will go to the Casey Tutungi fund.
Last Modified on 08/08/2013 12:37