Auburn Tigers paving the way

By Peter Lalor – The Australian

JUST behind the towering goalposts of the Gallipoli Mosque, in the heart of Sydney’s west, is a sight that would make AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou fall to his knees and weep with unrestrained joy.

Here in the heartlands of rugby league, tabouleh and fully-sick cars, a green shoot of Australian football has taken root.

The Auburn Tigers football side that trains every Wednesday is not, however, just another team. It is a primarily Muslim team. A primarily Muslim women’s football team.

At the National Press Club this week, Demetriou spoke about the challenges facing his code and asked: “How do we make our game relevant to a 10-year-old Muslim girl?”

The answer is: get her older sisters to sign up for the Auburn Tigers and watch her follow.

Click here to read the full article and to watch a video on the team.