The regular football season may be over for another year but the fun has only just begun for some of our game’s newest participants.
Over 200 primary school students are gearing up for the annual AFL Victoria Multicultural Primary Schools Cup held at Ross Straw Fields on October 12.
The annual event aims to engage multicultural youth through football and teach them about the game by providing a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment.
The 2016 AFL Victoria Multicultural Primary Schools Cup will see participants representing more than a dozen different countries compete in an AFL 9s round robin carnival where having fun is the focus, rather than winning.
Eleven different schools will take part in the tournament, which is the culmination of a huge year in the Australia Post AFL Multicultural Schools Program.
The program comprises of a six-week introductory course that brings students of various backgrounds together to participate and learn the skills of Australia’s indigenous game.
Wednesday’s carnival is the first of three big days of action over the next two months for Multicultural primary, secondary and English language schools.
A host of AFL and VFL Australia Post AFL Multicultural Player Ambassadors will be cheering the players on from the sidelines, including Geelong spearhead Tom Hawkins and Gold Coast Suns star, Adam Saad.
AFL Victoria Multicultural Participate and Engagement Assistant Patrick Karnezis said the carnival continued to have a positive influence on the next generation of multicultural footballers.
“Football is a significant part of Victoria’s culture and this year the Multicultural Primary Schools Cup will once again benefit students of all ages, helping build their confidence and social skills, both on the field and in the classroom,” Karnezis said.
“It will be fantastic to see youngsters from so many different backgrounds take to the field on Wednesday and enjoy all Australian football has to offer.”
The 2016 AFL Victoria Multicultural Primary School’s Cup will kick off at 10am at Ross Straw Fields, Parkville and conclude at 2:30pm.
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