The Western Bulldogs, in partnership with the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) and the Maribyrnong Refugee Week Organising Committee held the 4th Annual Inter-AMES (Adult Multicultural Education Services) Football Carnival at the iconic Whitten Oval today.

Over 100 students from countries all over the world including Vietnam, Burma, Ethiopia, Poland, Columbia, China, India and Sudan participated in today’s Carnival.

Held in Refugee Week each year, this unique Carnival uses the power of Aussie Rules to bring together newly arrived students from a diverse range of backgrounds to learn skills, both on and off the field.

The Carnival signifies the end of the 6-week introductory football program with AMES Werribee, Footscray, St Albans, WCEC and the VU AMEP Sunshine.

Students in the program not only learn footy skills - they also get the opportunity to learn valuable life skills through teamwork and physical activity as well as have the opportunity to improve their English through social interaction with students from other classes and centres. 

This year the Bulldogs have been particularly impressed by the commitment and passion shown by the female participants in the program - who have enthusiastically embraced footy as their game. 

Members of the Victorian Women’s Football team, recently won the AFL Women’s National Championships - were on hand to see the game’s newest recruits in action.

This year Carnival participants proudly wore special Western Bulldogs jumpers sponsored by the Western Bulldogs and the MFB.

This initiative is delivered by the Western Bulldogs’ community arm SpiritWest Services along with ex-AMES student volunteers and local Victoria Police youth resource officers who are acting as coaches and mentors to the new students. 

The AMES Football Program is one of five sports delivered throughout the year as part of the Club’s AMES Sports Program funded by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s Settlement Grants Program.

The Western Bulldogs is the first and only AFL Club to provide dedicated programs for new and emerging communities in Victoria which focus not only on football but a range of sporting, recreational and social opportunities.

If you would like to learn more about the Club’s Settlement Grants Program, please contact us on 1300 GODOGS or spiritwestservices@westernbulldogs.com.au

RESULTS

Women’s Match

St Albans / Footscray  2.3 (15) def Werribee / Sunshine 0.3 (3)

Best on Grounds: Seenual Pongbannai (St Albans/Footscray) & Ayen Malual (Werribee/Sunshine)

Men’s Match

Werribee / Sunshine 2.8 (20) def Footscray/St Albans 3.1 (19)

Best on Grounds: Mubarek (Footscray/St Albans) & Wilbert (Werribee/Sunshine)

Thank you to Women’s Coaches Victorian Women’s Football Team representatives Meg Hutchins & Amy Catterall and Women’s All-Australian Kaz Paxman.

And Men’s Coaches, Victoria Police Youth Resource Officers, Scott Sutton & Gerard Dickinson