AFL Victoria is pleased to announce the introduction of a new VFL Multicultural Ambassador program for 2014.
Following the successful model the AFL has run with various players over recent years, five Peter Jackson VFL players – David Mirrra (Box Hill Hawks - pictured), Adam Marcon (Williamstown), Peter Faulks (Williamstown), Joel Wilkinson (Northern Blues) and Gatluak Johnson (Coburg) – will help assist AFL Victoria with multicultural development initiatives and programs that currently exist across participation, community, fans, engagement and talent.
The role of the new Ambassadors will vary, from providing participation opportunities for the community, to being involved in talent academies for multicultural and indigenous participants.
AFL Victoria Engagement Manager Xavier Moloney said VFL clubs were asked to nominate players for the positions, with others selected from previous involvement in multicultural programs.
“The major aim for the Ambassadors is to help increase engagement and awareness of what AFL Victoria do in the community, and in particular the TAC Cup and VFL.
“It also provides the players with professional development in our programs,” Moloney said.
“The varied backgrounds of each player will help with interacting with the communities they will be involved in.”
The number of multicultural players within Victoria’s State league competition is also something the new Ambassador program is aiming to increase.
“Last year 13% of VFL lists were made up of players from a multicultural background (at least one parent born overseas).
“By utilising players currently in the competition, we hope that they will be seen as role models for what can be achieved in Australia’s game.”
New VFL Multicultural Ambassador, Box Hill Hawks captain David Mirra said he sees his role as helping grow the game that he is involved in playing.
“The AFL is aiming to grow its game, and the one way it is going to do so is by targeting multicultural communities, and providing them with better accessibility to the game.
“You see today players like Majak Daw on an AFL list and he is a perfect example of what can be achieved.
“We want people from multicultural communities to grow up and be a fan of the game, play the game and then we can provide a pathway to help them through the various levels of the game, be it local, TAC Cup, VFL or even AFL.”
Part of Mirra’s role will be helping with a new talent academy that is currently in the planning stages, to be established in Dandenong.
Modelled on the successful Majak Daw Squad that is based in the west, the new south east academy will help identifying players of multicultural and indigenous background to participate in a rookie squad training one night a week with a TAC Cup program.
In addition to the introduction of VFL Multicultural Ambassadors, clubs themselves have made a number of inroads recently.
Williamstown this year has introduced a multicultural advisor, Jiaming (Jamie) Pi, who will be working closely with the club in the lead up to its Multicultural Community Day on Sunday April 13, and when the club hosts the China national team at the International Cup in August this year.
Werribee too has appointed a multicultural development officer in Majok ‘Shaggy’ Ngong. The club is also involved with running the Wyndham Sporting Opportunities Project, which encourages youth from ethnic or diverse cultural backgrounds to get involved in all sport.
- Find out more about AFL Victoria's multicultural programs by clicking HERE
Last Modified on 05/04/2014 22:33