Multicultural talent camp kicks off
Twenty-seven up and coming AFL players from multicultural and Indigenous backgrounds are in Sydney this week to further improve their AFL skills and to find out more about their culture and those around them.
The five-day camp based in Sydney’s west will see the players, who have come from countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, Congo, Egypt, Fiji, South Korea among others, undertake a number of talent tests as well as cultural education sessions.
The camp is also designed to provide participants with a better opportunity to follow in the footsteps of the Multicultural and Indigenous stars playing in the AFL, including Essendon midfielder Bachar Houli.
Mohamed, from Sierra Leone, is new to the game but has already learnt a lot from his experience at the camp.
“Everyone’s from different countries so we can all relate and be friends together which is great,” he said.
“I’ve only been here [in Australia] for a few months and when I first came I was so eager to play soccer but there wasn’t a way for me to play.
“Then I found out the local team wanted some kids to play AFL and now I love it. It’s fun to run and kick the ball, I’m not the best kicker but I’m getting better.”
On Tuesday, the participants were put through their paces when The Biggest Loser’s Ray Kelly and boxer Junior Talipeau showed the players ways they can exercise from home without the use of a gymnasium.
Kelly, who has come from a troubled background, passed on his words of wisdom to the participants about ways they can follow their dreams by training hard and respecting those around them.
“This camp improves their ability to work as a team,” Kelly said.
“They’re coming together with people they don’t know and they may not understand much about the way they think just because of the diversity in backgrounds and cultures but it [the Multicultural and Indigenous talent camp] opens their eyes.”
The personal trainer said he can relate to many of the participants, particularly those from Wagga Wagga, having lived in a country town near Tamworth as a kid.
“Myself, growing up in a small country town I never really got the opportunity to work with the coaches from the city so this is a great experience for them,” Kelly said.
“While some of the kids may have been quiet I’m sure they would have been taking quite a lot in.”
