Mark Arbib attends GIANTS’ first match
Federal Sports Minister Mark Arbib made an immediate impact at the GWS GIANTS’ first professional AFL match playing in the halftime celebrity game which raised money for football clubs affected by the recent floods.
Arbib is pictured alongside Michelle Rowland MP with the AFL Indigenous Academy students at the sold-out Blacktown Olympic Park for the NAB Cup.
The AFL Indigenous Academies in Western Sydney are funded by the Australian Government through DEEWR’s “Sporting Chance Program”.
Around 140 Indigenous students attend the Academies two to three times per week and are engaged in sporting, cultural and leadership activities.
The objective of the program is to reduce school absenteeism and retention through to Year-12 or vocational equivalent.
The Academies are in their fifth year of operation with some of the original cohort of Academy students, now in Year-11 are pictured.
While at the NAB Cup match Arbib donned the orange GIANTS Guernsey during halftime as he ran out alongside AFL legend Paul Kelly. The money raised during the charity match will go towards football clubs affected by the floods.
