AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan has joined local school children from Western Sydney to launch AFL Multicultural Round.
 
The Greater Western Sydney GIANTS’ match against Geelong at Spotless Stadium this Saturday night will be broadcast live in Mandarin as part of celebrations to mark ‘Many Cultures, One Game’.
 
GIANTS Chief Executive David Matthews said the Chinese broadcast was one of several activities planned to recognise the contribution of multicultural communities to Australian football.

They include:??

· A pre-match citizenship ceremony for 50 new Australian citizens hosted by GIANTS Number One Ticket Holder Melissa Doyle. They will be presented on field at half time by Kevin Sheedy with a GIANTS merchandise and membership pack to welcome them to the GIANTS family??

- Performances by Irish, South Pacific and Haka dancers, Arabic drummers and Chinese Lion, Irish and African dancers

- Henna tattoos at the ground

- GOAL signs translated into Punjabi, Dinka, Mandarin and Arabic

- International Students to perform a guard of honour for GIANTS players

- GIANTS players will wear orange bootlaces to represent harmony

- Theming in 17 different languages welcoming fans to the game

??Matthews said the match would be a fitting celebration of Western Sydney’s rich cultural diversity.??

“I can’t think of a better place to mark AFL Multicultural Round than here in Western Sydney celebrating Australian Football which brings people together from different backgrounds," he said.

??“Right from the start we said we wanted to be a club that not only represents but also reflects the communities of Western Sydney.

"We want to welcome everyone to our game regardless of their background so they can enjoy it as players, fans, officials, administrators or volunteers."

Earlier this year the GIANTS became the first club to launch on Chinese social media network Weibo and Saturday's game will be broadcast live in Mandarin on Muse Sydney Chinese Radio 87.6 FM.

"We see this as another important step towards introducing our game to a wider audience," Matthews said.

"Through these initiatives and partnerships like those with the multicultural AFL women's team, the Auburn GIANTS, we can also gain a greater understanding of the communities in which we live."

The GIANTS will tonight host an Iftar dinner at its Learning Life Centre attended by Community Engagement Manager Ali Faraj, Australia Post AFL Multicultural Ambassador Stephen Coniglio and members of the local community.
 
“Ali Faraj is at the forefront of our community work, in particular the Woolworths Nutrition Program being delivered to students from 40 schools across Western Sydney,” Matthews said.
 
People with an international passport can access free tickets to attend Saturday's game thanks to the Australia Post AFL Multicultural program.
 
Fans must pre-register and redeem the tickets prior to the match to gain free access. Visit www.afl.to/myaflpassport
  
The GIANTS will play Geelong at Spotless Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park this Saturday, July 19 starting at 7.40pm. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.