An umpiring program initiated by the LeasePlan Western Bulldogs and AFL Victoria has introduced five people to Australian Rules football and helped break down the multicultural barrier for new and emerging youth in the western region.
The Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) umpiring program has seen four African youth, two boys and two girls, as well as a community development employee from the Footscray Youth Housing Group (FYHG) achieve basic knowledge and skills to be goal, boundary or field umpires.

Three of the four youth were introduced to the program through the FYHG, a housing support service that work extensively with at risk CALD young people in the western suburbs. 
The youngest participant was Deng Kuany, a 13-year old Sudanese refugee who had his first taste of football through the AFL Multicultural Schools Program two years ago. A follow up program at Braybrook Secondary College saw his passion for football, and umpiring in particularly, reignited. 
Deng saw umpiring as an ideal way to combine his passions for cross country running and football, becoming the first of the CALD group to umpire a junior match through the AFL umpires ‘Green Shirt’ program. 
Along with and 22-year old Tedros Belyenah from Ethiopia, Deng has since joined training sessions with the Western Region Football League Umpires Association. Both are now regular boundary umpires in senior reserve matches. 
All CALD participants will umpire at the Western Bulldogs ESL (English as a Second Language) Multicultural Schools Cup later this month.
They will then get the chance to umpire on the MCG as part of the Western Bulldogs Multicultural Schools Program Auskick grid games at half time of the Round 12 game against Brisbane on June 14.   
“It is an amazing feat, considering they all have never been to an AFL game before taking part in this program and didn’t know any of the rules”, Engaged Communities Coordinator Kiemi Lai said.  
Before their big day officiating at the MCG, the five participants will be recognised at a graduation dinner, where footage of them taking part in the program will be shown.
Success of the six week CALD program was made possible through the Western Bulldogs’ Settlement Grant Program (SGP), AFL Victoria’s Multicultural Program, the Footscray Youth Housing Group and support from the Western Region Football League Umpires Association.   
If anyone is interested in getting involved in umpiring or would like to learn more about the Western Bulldogs’ Settlement Grant Program, please contact Kiemi Lai on 9680 6182.