In his media conference after the Adelaide game last Sunday, Kevin Sheedy addressed questions about our crowds with a reference to the natural fan base that soccer has relative to the AFL.  

His comments were not new. It is something he has expressed a number of times but unfortunately on this occasion they were taken out of context and he has been unfairly subjected to criticism by some people who may not be aware of Kevin's enormous contribution to the community.

It is worth stating that a number of club officials, including Kevin, actually met with the Immigration Department in Canberra only two weeks ago to discuss about how we could celebrate diversity at a home game at Skoda Stadium against Melbourne on August 3. And we hope to announce more details of this shortly.

In the discussions, the point was made that given the AFL is not a global game, new communities have natural backgrounds in games like soccer. That is self-evident, especially in Western Sydney where a third of the population was born overseas and more than 180 languages are spoken.

As a member of the Migration Council of Australia and chairman of the GIANTS, I am acutely aware of Kevin's deep commitment to diversity and social inclusion. Like me, he was also a member of a multicultural board under the Keating Government.

Kevin is a big supporter of sport generally and the opportunity it provides to people of all ages, genders and backgrounds. He has worked tirelessly to build communities through sport, whether it be opportunities in Indigenous communities or promoting the cause of the Peace Team comprising Israeli and Palestinian players.

Locally he has supported and encouraged the growth of the Auburn Tigers men's and women's Muslim AFL teams and multicultural communities  across Western Sydney. And he has been supportive of the Western Sydney Wanderers every step of the way, something acknowledged by the Wanderers themselves. They have had a fantastic debut season and we have congratulated them on their success.

Like the Wanderers, we are also committed to social inclusion and diversity through the development of our Life and Learning Centre, led by Ali Faraj, which gives opportunity to refugees and migrants in Western Sydney and the Lend Lease GIANT Community Footprint which covers a range of community programs across the region.

Kevin Sheedy has been a leader  in Australian sport and those that know him know that he seeks to learn and understand communities.  It is one of the reasons the GIANTS already have over 12,000 members  – he listens, he learns and he educates too.

Quite simply, Kevin's record in this area speaks for itself. I know you value his contribution to the GIANTS and also our great game and country.

Thanks for your ongoing support of the GIANTS.

Tony Shepherd
Chairman