The western region of Melbourne has become one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) regions in Victoria.
 
The Western Bulldogs, through the partnership with the AFL Multicultural Program, have been introducing Australian football to newly arrived migrants and refugees in the West since 2005.

One of the biggest components of the Program is the Multicultural Schools Football Program (MSFP).  The program is delivered in primary & secondary schools throughout the region, as well as the Western English Language Schools & Adult Multicultural Education Services centres. All participants are given a brief history of the game and learn the basic skills. They are then encouraged to join local Auskick centres, junior & senior clubs.

This year AFL Victoria, AFL Multicultural Program, Western Bulldogs & the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) have partnered up in the West to go one step further by delivering a new Cultural Awareness component to the AFL AusKick, Junior and Youth courses. This program means all new Australian Football coaches in the west take part in a course so they have a better understanding of the issues facing CALD participants and in particular the issues they face when participating in Aussie Rules Football.

The presentation is delivered by the CMY and a Western Bulldogs Settlement Grants Program Outreach Worker and outlines the settlement background of newly arrived communities in the West and, issues they face in Australia and some possible suggestions on how to engage them in our game. The new coaches are also given an array of resources developed to deal with inclusion of newly arrived people in sport.

So far, 60 coaches have participated in the Cultural Awareness Training and further 55 will complete the training in early June. It is expected that this initiative will be applied to the rest of the AFL Victoria regions in the near future.