Almost 1000 children from different multicultural backgrounds were decked out in red, white and blue as they cheered on the Western Bulldogs against Brisbane at the MCG today.
It was a day to remember for students and their families from 16 western region primary schools who attended the match as part of the Club’s Bulldogs Friendly Schools Program and AFL Multicultural Schools Program.
The MCG experience was the first time most had ever been to a football match and for a lucky few it provided the opportunity to showcase their own football skills on the game’s biggest stage.
Students from five of the schools were selected to take part in some of the half-time Auskick games on the MCG. It provided 48 students with the chance of a lifetime, running around on the ground like some of their new Bulldogs heroes Jason Akermanis and Ryan Griffen.
It was a day to remember for students and their families from 16 western region primary schools who attended the match as part of the Club’s Bulldogs Friendly Schools Program and AFL Multicultural Schools Program.
The MCG experience was the first time most had ever been to a football match and for a lucky few it provided the opportunity to showcase their own football skills on the game’s biggest stage.
Students from five of the schools were selected to take part in some of the half-time Auskick games on the MCG. It provided 48 students with the chance of a lifetime, running around on the ground like some of their new Bulldogs heroes Jason Akermanis and Ryan Griffen.
Continuing with the multicultural theme of the day, recent graduates from the Western Bulldogs CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse) umpiring course officiated the half time matches.
Western Bulldogs Development Officer, Sash Herceg, said the match visit was a highlight of the Bulldogs Friendly Schools initiative.
“It was a fantastic turn out for today’s match. A lot of these students come from traditional soccer backgrounds and it was fantastic to see them enjoying all that a game of AFL can offer.”
“This component of the AFL Multicultural Program is yet another step in achieving our goal of introducing Australian football, and the Western Bulldogs in particular, to primary school students in the western region,” he said.
“It was a fantastic turn out for today’s match. A lot of these students come from traditional soccer backgrounds and it was fantastic to see them enjoying all that a game of AFL can offer.”
“This component of the AFL Multicultural Program is yet another step in achieving our goal of introducing Australian football, and the Western Bulldogs in particular, to primary school students in the western region,” he said.
Bulldogs players Peter Street, Sam Reid, Guy O’Keefe and Henry White visited the children in the Olympic Stand before the game to sign Bulldogs hats that were handed out as part of the match visit.
The day was made possible through the cooperative work of the AFL, Western Bulldogs, the Department of Victorian Communities and Victoria Police. Victoria University pre-service teachers also assisted in getting children and their families to and from the football in buses provided by the Western Bulldogs.
The day was made possible through the cooperative work of the AFL, Western Bulldogs, the Department of Victorian Communities and Victoria Police. Victoria University pre-service teachers also assisted in getting children and their families to and from the football in buses provided by the Western Bulldogs.
