MANY CULTURES ONE GAME West Coast ruckman NIC NAITANUI is one of 11 Australia Post AFL multicultural ambassadors. His journey from young draftee to AFL superstar has not been easy, but he is appreciative of the support he has received from his community, his family and the game of Australian Football. eing a multicultural skinny Fijian kid. I didn’t have any Fiji, as well as Tonga and South ambassador for the boots and just played in runners. Africa, and I got to meet people in AFL is one of the Footy was good for me, but we also Cambodia and the United States. greatest and most maintained our Fijian links. I caught One of the players I met in the US fulfilling things in up with my cousins and the rest of Footy was was Eric Wallace, who is now with my life. Like most our little community, making sure North Melbourne. Bof the ambassadors, I see it as a real we kept in touch with our culture a great Speaking to various groups is opportunity to make a difference and and traditions. Our families made also a highlight; I was fortunate to have an impact. sure we were in touch with that and integration to meet a team made up of Israelis I know in my own childhood, as how it worked. and Palestinians who were playing someone who was a little different We still do that now, although tool for me together. There are a massive to most other kids, footy was a great we have a choice rather than being NIC NAITANUI amount of migrants to this country integration tool for me. Hopefully, dragged along. Having said that, and it is great to speak with with an even more diverse society I really enjoy those gatherings Sudanese, Afghans and Middle now, I can help kids belong. because it is important to stay in Eastern people and a buzz to see I was born in Sydney, but my touch with your roots. them playing football. father died when I was one. My Some of the things we do include Australian Football can be massive mother’s brother had met some cooking our meals in the traditional for their integration into society. Australians in Fiji who were working methods – in the ground. It’s I know it was for me. in the mines and they encouraged called a lovo, cooking food After the weekend, all Aussie him to come across to this place underground. It’s about kids talk about is footy. It is a called Perth. He ended up flying up knowing how to light the fire, conversation starter with to Karratha 25 years ago as one of heat the rocks and wrapping school mates and helps to the early fly in/fly out workers. food in banana leaves. create friendships. We basically looked after his Speaking the language I have also been up north, house while he worked up north is also important. to a few remote communities and stayed with his family before All my family spoke which is good. moving into our own place in Fijian at home, but when I get to mentor a fair few Busby St, Midvale. my friends came over, I different groups, not only There is a small Fijian community made sure my mum spoke on-field but off-field as well. in Perth so everyone was pretty English because we were living It gives them a role model they can close, but when we found our own in Australia, not Fiji. identify with and hopefully aspire house, that’s when we lived next to Our place was a bit of a drop-in towards. It helps to grow the game, Michael Walters and Chris Yarran. centre. All the kids from the which is the main thing. I started playing footy out the front neighbourhood came in. Mum’s a One day it would be great to see of their house in my primary school really good cook, so the local kids Australian Football played globally years. When I first started playing, would come over and have fish and and hopefully we build on the kids were not used to seeing someone coconuts at our place, and then we game between St Kilda and Sydney like me playing footy. I didn’t have would go over to their place for a that was played in New Zealand the ‘dreadies’ in those days, but I did barbecue – steak and sausages! this year. I will probably be too old have a little ‘fro’. I have been fortunate in my role when that happens, but I would be ROLE MODEL: West Coast There were a lot of indigenous as an AFL multicultural ambassador proud to see our game evolved star and AFL multicultural kids in the team, but I was the only because it has taken me back to to that stage.’ ambassador Nic Naitanui was a big hit with fans at a community football day at Nollamara in Perth. AFL RECORD visit afl.com.au 7 VITAL ROLE: The AFL’s multicultural ambassadors represent some of the many STRENGTHENING TIES diverse backgrounds in football. » » The AFL announced Richmond’s Bachar Houli this week Australia Post (Lebanese/Muslim) works will be extending its part-time at AFL House, developing partnership with the AFL the Bachar Houli Islamic schools Multicultural Program for program in Victoria, NSW and WA, an additional four years. with the aim to engage more than Australia Post will 30,000 students. become the AFL’s partner » of the Multicultural Gold Coast Suns’ Joel Wilkinson Program, which includes (Nigerian) works part-time with the Multicultural Schools AFL Queensland, focusing on the Programs, Schools Letter Queensland Multicultural Schools Writing Program and Program, and is a mentor to the Multicultural Ambassador Talent Academy. Program, and the AFL » Community Camps. Melbourne’s David Rodan (Fijian) works with the AFL, promoting AFL Chief Executive Officer AFL Andrew Demetriou said the The Cultural Diversity week, the Unity Cup and the Boots 4 All campaign, AFL is proud to strengthen its multicultural partnership with Australia Post. ambassadors as well as a talent mentor. “Australian Football has ambassadors encourage » the extraordinary power to Collingwood’s Harry O’Brien n 2013, the Australia Post AFL (Brazilian) is developing a bring people together regardless communities of their background and Australia multicultural ambassador multicultural program that engages Post is an organisation program has expanded to to unite refugees, Community Ticketing include 11 ambassadors. program, as well as supporting the which also values I through the importance Greater Western Sydney’s Setanta diversity social media strategy. of connecting O’hAilpin and Port Adelaide’s Australia’s » people and Alipate Carlile have joined AFL North Melbourne’s Majak Daw communities, multicultural ambassadors Nic game (Sudanese) works with AFL Naitanui, Leigh Montagna, Bachar Victoria on engaging players from including JASON MIFSUD multicultural Houli, Joel Wilkinson, David Rodan, diverse backgrounds in the Majak communities,” Harry O’Brien, Karmichael Hunt, Daw Academy, as well as working he said. Majak Daw and Ahmed Saad in on cultural awareness projects. Australia Post representing some of the many » managing director diverse backgrounds in football. St Kilda’s Ahmed Saad and CEO Ahmed “The 11 multicultural (Egyptian/Muslim) works with Fahour said the organisation ambassadors play an important AFL Victoria on engaging players was proud to continue to work with role in encouraging individuals and from diverse backgrounds in the the AFL to build a more tolerant communities to unite through their Ahmed Saad Academy, as well and inclusive society. passion for Australia’s game,” AFL as delivering cultural awareness “Our workforce reflects the head of diversity Jason Mifsud said. sessions to the AFL industry. true diversity of Australia with 138 The multicultural ambassadors » different nationalities working at have played a leading role in the Gold Coast Suns’ Karmichael Hunt Australia Post,” Fahour said. AFL’s Multicultural Round. (Cook Island/Samoan) supports “Inclusiveness and diversity are and performs ambassadorial roles at the heart of both our workforce AFL Multicultural across AFL multicultural programs. and the work we do every day Ambassadors’ roles: » across Australia. We believe sport, Port Adelaide’s Alipate Carlile » West Coast Eagles’ Nic Naitanui (Fijian) works part-time with and in particular AFL, is a great (Fijian) works part-time at way to bring people together the SANFL, supporting the the WAFC, supporting the ongoing development of the SA in their community through ongoing development of the WA participation and volunteering.” multicultural strategy, talent multicultural strategy, talent academy and facilitates cultural academy and international education sessions to community development. football clubs. » St Kilda’s Leigh Montagna (Italian) » Greater Western Sydney’s Setanta works part-time at AFL House, O’hAilpin (Irish) works with focusing on multicultural, social the NSW Multicultural Talent and ethnic media strategies and Academy, as well as mentoring to development of the multicultural multicultural participants in the mentoring program. talent pathway. 8 AFL RECORD visit afl.com.au year’s Beyond Sport Awards for his work with the Bachar Houli Islamic Spreading Program, an inter-school football competition involving 30 Islamic the word schools throughout Australia. The Richmond half-back’s fellow NICK BOWEN nominees include the National his weekend’s Football League, the International Multicultural Round Table Tennis Federation, USA celebrates the increasingly Swimming and US Hockey, with T diverse make-up of the AFL the winner to be announced in and Australian Football under the Philadelphia in September. banner ‘Many Cultures, One Game’. “It is a huge honour to be AFL head of diversity Jason shortlisted out of 350 organisations Mifsud said this week Multicultural worldwide,” Houli said.