GIANTS celebrate many cultures

“This match will be a great opportunity for us to celebrate the cultural diversity of Western Sydney,” Matthews said.

“As the AFL’s newest club, we want to embrace the different cultures that make up Western Sydney. One of the great strengths of our game is that it is inclusive and open to everyone regardless of their background.”

As part of the AFL’s and GIANTS’ commitment to diversity and inclusion, there will be a number of initiatives to recognise multicultural communities.

AFL NSW/ACT, in partnership with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, will be hosting a Citizenship Ceremony prior to the game. Thirty people will become Australian citizens with Federal, State and Local Politicians present to witness the ceremony. 

The participants will be invited to the game, giving them the opportunity to experience their first live AFL match at ŠKODA Stadium with their family and friends.

The GIANTS in partnership with the Multicultural Youth Affairs Network, will also be inviting refugee and new migrant youth to attend. Students from local secondary schools in Western Sydney will also be invited to present cultural performances at the game.

“This is an opportunity for migrant and refugee youth to come together and celebrate diversity through our indigenous game,” said GIANTS Community Engagement Manager Ali Faraj.

As part of the match day activities, the Gaelic Athletic Association will also play a  special curtain raiser with involvement from the large Irish population across Sydney.

AFL NSW/ACT runs programs across the state that are designed to engage multicultural individuals and communities in a number of different ways. In 2012, more than 4000 multicultural participants were involved in school, community and talent based initiatives.