When Rohith Kallem arrived for training at the Eastern Swans early this year, he bought new energy to the club with his passion for AFL! Who would have thought Indian-born Rohith would become one of the most likeable players in the AFL Mackay competition. Known to all as ‘Roey’, he became the first Indian player in the history of Mackay AFL to try his hand at the sport. He was first introduced to the sport whilst living in Melbourne, winning tickets to a match at Etihad Stadium two years ago. “The Saints and Fremantle were playing, I didn’t know any of the rules though the atmosphere was fantastic. My love of the game grew from this point on.” Roey, a Civil Engineer at Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal was encouraged by his work colleagues to join a club in Mackay and his experience thus far has been rewarding. “I was at first hesitant to join a club as I had never played AFL before, though I have loved every minute of it.” Rohith attended pre-season training in January and was one of the most dedicated, rarely missing a training session. “My fitness was terrible, though the boys pushed me along and helped me to improve my kicking and lose a few kilos.” His infectious personality both on and off the field turned him into a ‘club hero’ at the Swans. Although he is the first to admit that his skills require some fine-tuning, Roey kicked his first goal in the final game of the season, resulting in a win for the Swans reserve grade. His goal celebration had supporters and teammates in stitches and applause! At the recent Eastern Swans presentation night, Rohith received the Coaches Award for his efforts throughout the 2012 season. Rohith is on his way back to India to visit family but is looking forward to next year’s AFL season in Mackay. “I am taking my AFL football with me to India to teach my friends and family how to kick and handball.” Recent statistics by the AFL show that 25% of current AFL lists are from diverse backgrounds (11% Indigenous and 14% Multicultural). Australian Football has the capacity to bring people together from diverse cultural backgrounds. With this in mind, the AFL is working closely with state football bodies to build strong working relationships with many diverse communities to identify barriers and to develop strategies to encourage involvement.
Last Modified on 23/10/2012 12:46