I heard about the Peres Peace Center some years ago in the media. The former Israeli Prime Minister and current President, Shimon Peres, announced an initiative to encourage dialogue and understanding between Israelis and Palestinians at the community level. He sought to break down the obstacles to peace through a number of cultural, business, professional and sporting programs in which both communities would participate.

 

What has the AFL got to do with all of this?

 

In November 2008 I received a letter inviting me to a dinner. The letterhead got my attention immediately. It had an intriguing combination of logos at its head: the AFL logo, the Australia Israel Chamber of Commerce logo and the Peres Center for Peace logo. What could they possibly have in common?

 

The dinner was to promote the idea of an AFL team consisting of Israeli and Palestinian footballers competing in the AFL’s International Cup in Melbourne in August 2008. The team would compete as the Peace Team.

 

A number of connecting factors led me to a Kibbutz (a communal settlement) near Jerusalem last Wednesday to see the Team train. The Kibbutz was close to the West Bank where the Palestinian Team members came from.

 

I travelled from Tel Aviv to the Kibbutz with Simon, the team's coach. During the hour long trip he told me that he had moved to Israel from the United Kingdom with his parents when he was 13, that he had seen 2 games of AFL when he visited Australia some years ago, that he was passionate about the game, and had learned the rules and tactics from the books and replays.

 

He was a full time personal trainer and was studying coaching as a profession. I wondered how someone who did not come from an AFL background or have any experience with our game could teach the rules and the skills of the game to a group of athletes most of whom did not have the slightest idea of the game and its nuances. Simon had been coaching them for a month with the help of Danny an expat Aussie. Kevin Sheehan, AFL Talent and International Manager, had also conducted a 3 day training camp with the group.

We arrived at the (soccer) ground at about 7.00pm. It was night and it was cold.

 

The ground was flood lit. Yonatan and his father Harvey were preparing for training. Yonatan was born in Israel 18 years ago. I was introduced to both of them. To my surprise Harvey, who moved to Israel 20 years ago from Melbourne, said that he used to watch me play football in Melbourne when he was 10. I suddenly felt my age.

 

Gradually others arrived in their orange and black track suits and it was evident that they were the Israelis. Hebrew was the language. About 15 Sherrins (donated by the AFL) were distributed and immediately the Israelis took off around the ground. Kick to kick Aussie style. Their kicking style was unusual but effective.  More like soccer goalkeepers kicking the soccer ball into play, the ball held in one hand, running out on an angle to the direct line, and not much length but a lot of height. The ball‘s trajectory was more like a mongrel punt.

 

Training was to start at 8pm but the Palestinian group was late because of security checks at the border. When they did arrive in their mini bus they soon got into it. They wore similar training strip to the Israelis. They greeted and were greeted by their teammates and soon the distinction between Israelis and Palestinians disappeared. Apart from the addition of Arabic to the language of the night they appeared to be a group of regular kids getting together for footy training.

 

 Simon called the group together and addressed them like any other footy coach. He appeared to know the rules and the tactics. He explained that there would be a warm up session (laps) followed by stretches, a skill session- this time bumping and shepherding followed by a 20 minute practice drill. The drill was explained by use of a white board (A4 sheet of paper) which had the oval drawn on it with the positions and moves drawn in. Nothing really new except that he gave his instructions in Hebrew which was then interpreted into Arabic.

 

I was introduced to the Peace Team and was asked say a few words which were translated into Hebrew and then Arabic. I was invited join in and to contribute if I saw the need. I worked on kicking skills and as best I could I tried to teach them the drop punt and how to hold the ball and control it with both hands to their boot. I also worked on hand passing and getting length into their kicks.

 

They listened intently and were keen to learn. They were frustrated when it didn’t work for them the first few times but they stuck at it.

 

Simon and Danny took them through tagging drills: 3 on 1, 4 on 1 and keepings off. There was laughter and determination. They were fast and their ball handling skills including handball was impressive.  

 

At one point there was a clash of heads and one player went down with an injury to his eye. It was an Israeli who went down. The first person to go to his aid was Ferres a Palestinian basketball player from Jericho. He seemed to be genuinely concerned about the injury and sympathetically assisted the injured player to his feet and partly escorted him from the field.

 

Ferres went up to his injured team mate immediately after the game to enquire about the injured eye. The rest of the team mingled and joked with each other and handed around drinks and tuna rolls that had been prepared for them.

 

As the Palestinians departed there were hi fives and farewells exchanged. It was apparent that they saw themselves as teammates not enemies. Any differences between them merged into the team. I then saw an army patrol driving slowly along the ridge on the hill overlooking the ground. I was brought back to the reality on the ground.

 

I was staggered at what had been achieved by the coaches in such a short space of time. The Peace Team will surprise and impress, not only in the field of play, but also in successfully bringing together a disparate and conflicting group through the common pursuit of their sport. The AFL should be praised for its role in this endeavor.