Western Bulldogs player, Liam Picken, helped run a footy clinic with more than 80 international students from Victoria University today as part of the Bulldogs’ Welcome to the West Expo at Whitten Oval.

The Western Bulldogs Schools & Youth Coordinator Nish Moses believes the expo aims to help with the international students’ transition into Australian Culture and also provides the chance to foster in a new generation of AFL Ambassadors from around the globe.

“Essentially the aim of the day is to engage with the Victorian University’s international students to teach them a bit more about Australian culture and Australian football and to teach them more about the Western Bulldogs,” Moses said.

The free expo, focussed on introducing international students to AFL and the Western Front, provided participants with the unique opportunity to meet and connect with community agencies and services, sports clubs, emergency and legal services - as well as learning the ins and outs of Aussie Rules football.

“They have been in the country some of them for less than a week, so it was also important to educate them on the western region of Melbourne,” Moses said.

“A number of western region services providers including the Victorian Police, the Melbourne Fire Brigade (MFB), Citywest Water, Volunteer West and Maribyrnong Young Services came down to explain what they do in their organisation.

“We are just trying to educate them around Australian culture and how to keep safe around the western region and engaging with the Victorian police and the MFB and just making sure they know what is out there.”

The Bulldogs, who take great pride in their backyard in the west of Melbourne, also offered a three game membership to all students who attend the expo encouraging them to join the Western Front and embrace Aussie Rules football and its place in Australian culture.

For most it was an introduction to AFL at the most basic level as the Bulldogs SpiritWest Services presented a ‘Welcome to the AFL’ workshop as well as a football clinic on Whitten Oval to hone their new skills.

“They were just so new to the game they didn’t know anything like what a goal is or what a handball is or any of the rules of the game… It was just explaining an entirely new concept to them,” Moses said.

“Some of them took to the game pretty well, and they all had a go which was good to see just teaching them how to handball and hold the ball.

“A few of them went out goal kicking and they seemed to enjoy that the most, I think.

“From a bulldogs perspective it is about getting them to the games and making them support the Bulldogs but we also wanted to make their stay in Australia safer and more enjoyable so that when they go back to their own countries they will also become ambassadors to the game.”