Australian Football League Multicultural Camp
0:00:27.740,0:00:33.410
This is year is the first inaugural of the
program (camp). Hopefully this is going
0:00:33.410,0:00:35.930
to grow into a bigger thing as well.
0:00:35.930,0:00:38.780
Just knowing and seeing the faces on
these kids and what they are going
0:00:38.780,0:00:41.220
through at the moment – it’s a life
changing experience.
0:00:41.220,0:00:44.800
Hopefully this is the first of many and
kids will appreciate it. These kids will
0:00:44.800,0:00:48.780
then be the leaders of their cultures
and next thing you’ll know is that we
0:00:48.780,0:00:51.920
will find more kids who will play footy
in their communities.
0:00:51.920,0:00:56.580
We just think the culmination of having
a week long intensive camp not only
0:00:56.580,0:00:59.930
from a football point of view but also
an inclusion point of view and education
0:00:59.930,0:01:03.420
and training around high performance
and nutrition (is a good thing).
0:01:03.420,0:01:10.360
We are really exposing the 25 nationalities
we have in the camp here this week to what
0:01:10.360,0:01:12.760
the talented player pathway actually
looks like.
0:01:12.760,0:01:18.560
Camps like these are great opportunities to
bring all cultures together to play the
0:01:18.560,0:01:19.810
game we love playing.
0:01:19.810,0:01:24.760
It’s really great here because we come
from all different countries and it doesn’t
0:01:24.760,0:01:27.570
matter who you are everybody can play AFL.
0:01:27.570,0:01:32.880
Look our game welcomes everybody. It doesn’t
matter what colour, what race, what religion,
0:01:32.880,0:01:37.700
what denomination or what your background
is. Once you get involved in AFL football
0:01:37.700,0:01:38.109
you’re equal.
0:01:38.109,0:01:45.109
A lot of my mates that I have today the
majority of them are through footy
0:01:49.780,0:01:55.149
whether playing with a footy team or
through my work with the AFL.
0:01:55.149,0:02:01.009
We all try and find our own way. The
acceptance with me was naturally football.
0:02:01.009,0:02:06.280
Emotionally and the ability to express
myself football was the driving force
0:02:06.280,0:02:07.109
of that.
0:02:07.109,0:02:12.220
I guess I was the only Asian kid playing
for my school and footy team at East
0:02:12.220,0:02:17.460
Bentleigh. Now it’s a very diverse area
but back when I was learning to play
0:02:17.460,0:02:20.250
football I was pretty much the only
Asian kid playing. I think they were
0:02:20.250,0:02:24.110
pretty accepting. I didn’t see myself
as anything different to anyone else
0:02:24.110,0:02:29.010
and for me to be able to play and be
one of the better players in the team
0:02:29.010,0:02:33.940
was something that bought more appreciation
and attention to myself than most other
0:02:33.940,0:02:34.780
kids my age.
0:02:34.780,0:02:38.970
(I’m) pretty privileged to be part of
such an awesome experience at this camp.
0:02:38.970,0:02:42.900
To be talking to ex-AFL players and
coaches and that is just awesome.I
0:02:42.900,0:02:47.190
walked home one day and mum said
you’ve got a letter here. I said oh
0:02:47.190,0:02:54.190
yeh whose it from and I read on the
front that it was from the AFL. I thought
0:02:55.980,0:03:02.980
ooh that’s alright having a letter from
the AFL.
0:03:07.050,0:03:08.610
Whether you’re a player or whether you
are a supporter our game welcomes
0:03:08.610,0:03:12.580
everybody. It’s about as an inclusive
a game as you can get.
0:03:12.580,0:03:17.750
Friends from school started to introduce
me (to the game) by getting me down to
0:03:17.750,0:03:20.700
training. I came down had a go. I didn’t
know much about it and I wasn’t really
0:03:20.700,0:03:25.670
into it. (But) after a couple of goes
I played a season of Under 14’s.
0:03:25.670,0:03:31.720
Socially I think the interaction is just
so important. I think the thing that will
0:03:31.720,0:03:35.330
come out of this is that the kids will
make new friends and we are always looking
0:03:35.330,0:03:39.450
at other ways of being able to interact.
0:03:39.450,0:03:44.300
To be more involved in the community.
To sort of make more friends and to sort
0:03:44.300,0:03:50.490
of fit into the Australian way of life
because some refugees who come to Australia
0:03:50.490,0:03:52.510
it’s kind of hard for them to fit in.
0:03:52.510,0:03:57.290
I think fundamentally the opportunity is
to first of all to feel part of the
0:03:57.290,0:04:00.330
community that you are living in and
that this is a game that particularly
0:04:00.330,0:04:05.430
in the southern parts of Australia that
really is embedded in the culture of
0:04:05.430,0:04:12.150
every community. Therefore it offers
migrants and new communities a great
0:04:12.150,0:04:16.600
avenue to actually meet people and feel
that they are part of the great country
0:04:16.600,0:04:16.850
we live in.
0:04:16.750,0:04:23.750
I want to be the first Sudanese to get
drafted to the AFL.
0:04:25.430,0:04:32.430
When I first started I didn’t know how
to kick and I didn’t know how to handball
0:04:32.830,0:04:37.250
so they (my coaches) are supporting me a
lot – showing me from the basic and
0:04:37.250,0:04:38.860
everything. It helped me a lot.
0:04:38.860,0:04:41.750
My ambition now is to become an AFL player.
0:04:41.750,0:04:48.750
It all started when I was in Grade Five.
I was only a young kid and a lot of my
0:04:48.930,0:04:49.719
mates played footy.
0:04:49.719,0:04:54.530
I played in the playground with them and
the following year they asked me to come
0:04:54.530,0:04:55.280
down and train.
0:04:55.280,0:04:58.560
I was very reluctant because mum and dad
didn’t support me playing footy.
0:04:58.560,0:05:03.129
Therefore (my friend’s) family picked
me up and took me to training and games.
0:05:03.129,0:05:07.830
Next thing I know I’m playing representative
footy, winning league best and fairests,
0:05:07.830,0:05:11.430
becoming All Australian, representing
Victoria, travelling interstate and
0:05:11.430,0:05:13.539
getting a job with the AFL.
0:05:13.539,0:05:20.479
I think from our point of view there are
opportunities for talented young players.
0:05:20.479,0:05:24.860
We have 700 full time jobs for players
with an average salary of $200,000 per
0:05:24.860,0:05:29.539
year. So it’s a great career to pursue
from that point of view.
0:05:29.539,0:05:34.099
We know from Bachar Houli (Essendon AFL player)
and other players who have made their way
0:05:34.099,0:05:38.210
through the pathway they really set a great
example for others to follow.
0:05:38.210,0:05:45.210
Just to see the looks on the boys faces in
there took me back a few years.
0:05:45.560,0:05:49.990
It’s great. They’ve got dreams in their
eyes and aspirations. It’s a wonderful
0:05:49.990,0:05:50.419
thing.
0:05:50.419,0:05:55.129
So if the camp can help these boys
develop and help them perhaps realise
0:05:55.129,0:05:57.800
their dreams that would be a wonderful
thing.
0:05:57.800,0:06:04.800
I would probably go and help others
with what we’ve done here (in camp).
0:06:08.770,0:06:14.620
I want to try and remember as much as
what they have told us – the (AFL)
0:06:14.620,0:06:15.249
legends.
0:06:15.249,0:06:19.590
The kids going to their communities
and homes where they live knowing that
0:06:19.590,0:06:23.789
they have been involved in the camp
they can take back the leadership skills
0:06:23.789,0:06:29.059
they’ve learnt, the friends they’ve met
as well as the message of the game that
0:06:29.059,0:06:35.169
it involved kids from different
backgrounds, nationalities, religions
0:06:35.169,0:06:36.129
and colour.
0:06:36.129,0:06:40.759
I think it is about creating new fans
of the game and reaching into communities
0:06:40.759,0:06:46.349
that may not have had the opportunity to
participate in such an inclusive sport
0:06:46.349,0:06:46.719
before.
0:06:46.719,0:06:50.860
I mean we really have a view that
wherever this game goes, into any
0:06:50.860,0:06:55.009
community, the community is the one
that benefits. So you would hope, as
0:06:55.009,0:07:00.120
I said, that these young men go away
and take back to their communities a
0:07:00.120,0:07:03.379
great experience and great stories
about what the game can do for them.
0:07:03.379,0:07:06.539
Some of these kids are going to speak
about it. It’s probably one of the best
0:07:06.539,0:07:11.860
experiences they have had for a while.
They are going to speak to other kids
0:07:11.860,0:07:15.999
who have not started playing football
yet and they might get them to play
0:07:15.999,0:07:16.249
footy.
0:07:16.159,0:07:22.319
I think anytime we can bring talent
into our competition from any background
0:07:22.319,0:07:25.289
it makes good sense for everybody.
0:07:25.289,0:07:30.449
Waleed Aly taught us that one of the
things that we want to do is that we
0:07:30.449,0:07:33.589
want people to look at this game and
see a reflection of themselves. You’d
0:07:33.589,0:07:37.629
love to see that the talent of the
competition really reflects the
0:07:37.629,0:07:44.629
population of Australia wouldn’t you.
0:07:45.080,0:07:52.069
Ideally I’d like to see all 50 kids
involved in the camp drafted.
0:07:52.069,0:07:56.009
Obviously that’s not going to happen
but there are some really talented
0:07:56.009,0:07:56.990
kids here.
0:07:56.990,0:08:00.979
This is just a foot in the door for
some of these kids so hopefully we can
0:08:00.979,0:08:05.960
see these kids playing in the TAC Cup,
AFL, and VFL whatever - just continuing
0:08:05.960,0:08:07.960
on with the game and their development
as well.
0:08:07.960,0:08:14.520
It would be incredible. If we could get
the first African play our game, the first
0:08:14.520,0:08:19.460
Chinese, the first Iraqi – it would be a
great thing because history tells us that
0:08:19.460,0:08:23.749
when one plays, if they are the first,
others follow. That’s why it’s been
0:08:23.749,0:08:30.749
wonderful to see Bachar Houli play recently.
They can easily become quick role models
0:08:31.979,0:08:34.279
which is a good thing.
0:08:34.279,0:08:39.190
I want to go all the way. It’s been a
dream since I was young and it’s still
0:08:39.190,0:08:41.940
a dream now. I want to follow my dreams.
I believe in myself and I reckon I can
0:08:41.940,0:08:42.909
make it with all the support.
This is year is the first inaugural of the
program (camp). Hopefully this is going
0:00:33.410,0:00:35.930
to grow into a bigger thing as well.
0:00:35.930,0:00:38.780
Just knowing and seeing the faces on
these kids and what they are going
0:00:38.780,0:00:41.220
through at the moment – it’s a life
changing experience.
0:00:41.220,0:00:44.800
Hopefully this is the first of many and
kids will appreciate it. These kids will
0:00:44.800,0:00:48.780
then be the leaders of their cultures
and next thing you’ll know is that we
0:00:48.780,0:00:51.920
will find more kids who will play footy
in their communities.
0:00:51.920,0:00:56.580
We just think the culmination of having
a week long intensive camp not only
0:00:56.580,0:00:59.930
from a football point of view but also
an inclusion point of view and education
0:00:59.930,0:01:03.420
and training around high performance
and nutrition (is a good thing).
0:01:03.420,0:01:10.360
We are really exposing the 25 nationalities
we have in the camp here this week to what
0:01:10.360,0:01:12.760
the talented player pathway actually
looks like.
0:01:12.760,0:01:18.560
Camps like these are great opportunities to
bring all cultures together to play the
0:01:18.560,0:01:19.810
game we love playing.
0:01:19.810,0:01:24.760
It’s really great here because we come
from all different countries and it doesn’t
0:01:24.760,0:01:27.570
matter who you are everybody can play AFL.
0:01:27.570,0:01:32.880
Look our game welcomes everybody. It doesn’t
matter what colour, what race, what religion,
0:01:32.880,0:01:37.700
what denomination or what your background
is. Once you get involved in AFL football
0:01:37.700,0:01:38.109
you’re equal.
0:01:38.109,0:01:45.109
A lot of my mates that I have today the
majority of them are through footy
0:01:49.780,0:01:55.149
whether playing with a footy team or
through my work with the AFL.
0:01:55.149,0:02:01.009
We all try and find our own way. The
acceptance with me was naturally football.
0:02:01.009,0:02:06.280
Emotionally and the ability to express
myself football was the driving force
0:02:06.280,0:02:07.109
of that.
0:02:07.109,0:02:12.220
I guess I was the only Asian kid playing
for my school and footy team at East
0:02:12.220,0:02:17.460
Bentleigh. Now it’s a very diverse area
but back when I was learning to play
0:02:17.460,0:02:20.250
football I was pretty much the only
Asian kid playing. I think they were
0:02:20.250,0:02:24.110
pretty accepting. I didn’t see myself
as anything different to anyone else
0:02:24.110,0:02:29.010
and for me to be able to play and be
one of the better players in the team
0:02:29.010,0:02:33.940
was something that bought more appreciation
and attention to myself than most other
0:02:33.940,0:02:34.780
kids my age.
0:02:34.780,0:02:38.970
(I’m) pretty privileged to be part of
such an awesome experience at this camp.
0:02:38.970,0:02:42.900
To be talking to ex-AFL players and
coaches and that is just awesome.I
0:02:42.900,0:02:47.190
walked home one day and mum said
you’ve got a letter here. I said oh
0:02:47.190,0:02:54.190
yeh whose it from and I read on the
front that it was from the AFL. I thought
0:02:55.980,0:03:02.980
ooh that’s alright having a letter from
the AFL.
0:03:07.050,0:03:08.610
Whether you’re a player or whether you
are a supporter our game welcomes
0:03:08.610,0:03:12.580
everybody. It’s about as an inclusive
a game as you can get.
0:03:12.580,0:03:17.750
Friends from school started to introduce
me (to the game) by getting me down to
0:03:17.750,0:03:20.700
training. I came down had a go. I didn’t
know much about it and I wasn’t really
0:03:20.700,0:03:25.670
into it. (But) after a couple of goes
I played a season of Under 14’s.
0:03:25.670,0:03:31.720
Socially I think the interaction is just
so important. I think the thing that will
0:03:31.720,0:03:35.330
come out of this is that the kids will
make new friends and we are always looking
0:03:35.330,0:03:39.450
at other ways of being able to interact.
0:03:39.450,0:03:44.300
To be more involved in the community.
To sort of make more friends and to sort
0:03:44.300,0:03:50.490
of fit into the Australian way of life
because some refugees who come to Australia
0:03:50.490,0:03:52.510
it’s kind of hard for them to fit in.
0:03:52.510,0:03:57.290
I think fundamentally the opportunity is
to first of all to feel part of the
0:03:57.290,0:04:00.330
community that you are living in and
that this is a game that particularly
0:04:00.330,0:04:05.430
in the southern parts of Australia that
really is embedded in the culture of
0:04:05.430,0:04:12.150
every community. Therefore it offers
migrants and new communities a great
0:04:12.150,0:04:16.600
avenue to actually meet people and feel
that they are part of the great country
0:04:16.600,0:04:16.850
we live in.
0:04:16.750,0:04:23.750
I want to be the first Sudanese to get
drafted to the AFL.
0:04:25.430,0:04:32.430
When I first started I didn’t know how
to kick and I didn’t know how to handball
0:04:32.830,0:04:37.250
so they (my coaches) are supporting me a
lot – showing me from the basic and
0:04:37.250,0:04:38.860
everything. It helped me a lot.
0:04:38.860,0:04:41.750
My ambition now is to become an AFL player.
0:04:41.750,0:04:48.750
It all started when I was in Grade Five.
I was only a young kid and a lot of my
0:04:48.930,0:04:49.719
mates played footy.
0:04:49.719,0:04:54.530
I played in the playground with them and
the following year they asked me to come
0:04:54.530,0:04:55.280
down and train.
0:04:55.280,0:04:58.560
I was very reluctant because mum and dad
didn’t support me playing footy.
0:04:58.560,0:05:03.129
Therefore (my friend’s) family picked
me up and took me to training and games.
0:05:03.129,0:05:07.830
Next thing I know I’m playing representative
footy, winning league best and fairests,
0:05:07.830,0:05:11.430
becoming All Australian, representing
Victoria, travelling interstate and
0:05:11.430,0:05:13.539
getting a job with the AFL.
0:05:13.539,0:05:20.479
I think from our point of view there are
opportunities for talented young players.
0:05:20.479,0:05:24.860
We have 700 full time jobs for players
with an average salary of $200,000 per
0:05:24.860,0:05:29.539
year. So it’s a great career to pursue
from that point of view.
0:05:29.539,0:05:34.099
We know from Bachar Houli (Essendon AFL player)
and other players who have made their way
0:05:34.099,0:05:38.210
through the pathway they really set a great
example for others to follow.
0:05:38.210,0:05:45.210
Just to see the looks on the boys faces in
there took me back a few years.
0:05:45.560,0:05:49.990
It’s great. They’ve got dreams in their
eyes and aspirations. It’s a wonderful
0:05:49.990,0:05:50.419
thing.
0:05:50.419,0:05:55.129
So if the camp can help these boys
develop and help them perhaps realise
0:05:55.129,0:05:57.800
their dreams that would be a wonderful
thing.
0:05:57.800,0:06:04.800
I would probably go and help others
with what we’ve done here (in camp).
0:06:08.770,0:06:14.620
I want to try and remember as much as
what they have told us – the (AFL)
0:06:14.620,0:06:15.249
legends.
0:06:15.249,0:06:19.590
The kids going to their communities
and homes where they live knowing that
0:06:19.590,0:06:23.789
they have been involved in the camp
they can take back the leadership skills
0:06:23.789,0:06:29.059
they’ve learnt, the friends they’ve met
as well as the message of the game that
0:06:29.059,0:06:35.169
it involved kids from different
backgrounds, nationalities, religions
0:06:35.169,0:06:36.129
and colour.
0:06:36.129,0:06:40.759
I think it is about creating new fans
of the game and reaching into communities
0:06:40.759,0:06:46.349
that may not have had the opportunity to
participate in such an inclusive sport
0:06:46.349,0:06:46.719
before.
0:06:46.719,0:06:50.860
I mean we really have a view that
wherever this game goes, into any
0:06:50.860,0:06:55.009
community, the community is the one
that benefits. So you would hope, as
0:06:55.009,0:07:00.120
I said, that these young men go away
and take back to their communities a
0:07:00.120,0:07:03.379
great experience and great stories
about what the game can do for them.
0:07:03.379,0:07:06.539
Some of these kids are going to speak
about it. It’s probably one of the best
0:07:06.539,0:07:11.860
experiences they have had for a while.
They are going to speak to other kids
0:07:11.860,0:07:15.999
who have not started playing football
yet and they might get them to play
0:07:15.999,0:07:16.249
footy.
0:07:16.159,0:07:22.319
I think anytime we can bring talent
into our competition from any background
0:07:22.319,0:07:25.289
it makes good sense for everybody.
0:07:25.289,0:07:30.449
Waleed Aly taught us that one of the
things that we want to do is that we
0:07:30.449,0:07:33.589
want people to look at this game and
see a reflection of themselves. You’d
0:07:33.589,0:07:37.629
love to see that the talent of the
competition really reflects the
0:07:37.629,0:07:44.629
population of Australia wouldn’t you.
0:07:45.080,0:07:52.069
Ideally I’d like to see all 50 kids
involved in the camp drafted.
0:07:52.069,0:07:56.009
Obviously that’s not going to happen
but there are some really talented
0:07:56.009,0:07:56.990
kids here.
0:07:56.990,0:08:00.979
This is just a foot in the door for
some of these kids so hopefully we can
0:08:00.979,0:08:05.960
see these kids playing in the TAC Cup,
AFL, and VFL whatever - just continuing
0:08:05.960,0:08:07.960
on with the game and their development
as well.
0:08:07.960,0:08:14.520
It would be incredible. If we could get
the first African play our game, the first
0:08:14.520,0:08:19.460
Chinese, the first Iraqi – it would be a
great thing because history tells us that
0:08:19.460,0:08:23.749
when one plays, if they are the first,
others follow. That’s why it’s been
0:08:23.749,0:08:30.749
wonderful to see Bachar Houli play recently.
They can easily become quick role models
0:08:31.979,0:08:34.279
which is a good thing.
0:08:34.279,0:08:39.190
I want to go all the way. It’s been a
dream since I was young and it’s still
0:08:39.190,0:08:41.940
a dream now. I want to follow my dreams.
I believe in myself and I reckon I can
0:08:41.940,0:08:42.909
make it with all the support.
