Werribee’s Mackillop College took out the male and female Programmed EAL Cup double at the Western Bulldogs’ annual football lightning premiership for newly arrived English as an Additional Language (EAL) secondary school students. 

It was a case of persistence paying off for Mackillop College’s boys team who after coming runners-up for the past two years, took out the title in their fourth attempt; whilst their girls made it two premierships in a row. 

Over 100 refugee and migrant young people from western region secondary schools participated in the two lightning premierships conducted at Victoria University Whitten Oval in August. 

For many, it was the first time they had kicked a football having only arrived in Australia within the past year – and in some cases, weeks – from countries such as Burma, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran and Ethiopia. 

But despite their inexperience with the oval ball, the boys and girls acquitted themselves well in the nine-a-side tournament to play a highly competitive, athletic brand of football. 

Both Mackillop teams were undefeated throughout their respective carnivals with the boys comfortably accounting for WELS Tottenham in the Grand Final 10. 7 (67) to  3. 4 (22) and girls defeating Sunshine College in their Grand Final 4. 4 (28) to 1.1 (7). 

Dogs’ duo Mark Austin and Christian Howard were on hand to present the male Best & Fairest awards to Mading (Mackillop), Manolis (Wyndham WELS), Aden Kullo (Sunshine) and Cung Liang (WELS).

The Female Best & Fairest players received their awards from local Victorian Women’s Football League players, Justine Curatolo (Deer Park Football Club) and Shae-Lee Murphy-Burke (Altona Football Club). 

These were awarded to Samarat and Sandorwin (WELS), Lula Kullo (Sunshine) and Anger Kuc (Mackillop).

The EAL Cup (formally known as ESL) celebrates diversity in the west and provides an opportunity for newly arrived refugees and migrants in the Bulldogs’ heartland to participate in football.  The event has become an integral part of the Club’s multicultural and settlement programs since its inception in 2006 with the support of the Department of Immigration & Citizenship, AFL Multicultural Programs and our multicultural partners, Programmed. 

2013 was the eighth year the Western Bulldogs have provided this opportunity for multicultural boys in the west and second year for girls.