In the inner-city suburb of North Melbourne one of the league’s most famous clubs has also undergone significant change. A multicultural learning and life centre called The Huddle has been established to help improve social cohesion in the local area at the North Melbourne Football Club’s headquarters.
Established by the Scanlon Foundation in 2009, The Huddle offers a range of unique education and community programs for people from all walks of life.
In 2011 more than 6,000 young people participated in one or more of The Huddle’s programs, with students from almost every school in North Melbourne, Kensington, and Flemington visiting the community classroom and facilities at least once.
I have been recently appointed as the new Multicultural Development Officer at The Huddle and one of the first things I will be involved in is working with 'The African Warriors', a footy team that will play in the Harmony Cup; a unique competition dedicated to promoting Australian Rules Football to culturally and linguistically diverse groups.
I have lived in North Melbourne my entire life and it is particularly pleasing to see people from different backgrounds getting interested and involved in football.
North Melbourne rookie Majak Daw, the first Sudanese-born AFL player, has been a great success story at The Huddle. The 20-year old has been teaching youngsters about the game and is actively involved in getting locals engaged with the club.
Daw knows only too well just how hard it is to have to start over in a new country and relates well to the local area’s migrant population. In his early years, he was forced to flee war-torn Sudan with his family and seek refuge in Egypt before being granted a visa to Australia.
Australian Rules Football has become a vital link for Daw and thousands of others who struggle to fit in. The sport is unique in its capacity to transcend cultural and religious boundaries and build social cohesion. Supporting an AFL team provides refugees and migrants the ability to integrate into the fabric of our uniquely Australian way of life and The Huddle has also become a force for both social cohesion and multiculturalism.
“What we’re aiming to do is improve social cohesion in North Melbourne and surrounding areas, particularly targeting disengagement among young people,” Dr Sonja Hood, General Manager of the Huddle said.
The Huddle has a range of programs including study support for secondary and tertiary students, and the community classroom which invites schools and community groups to visit, teaches critical life skills.
This one of a kind community classroom provides the opportunity for refugees, migrants and young people of indigenous backgrounds to embrace new ways of thinking while giving them incredible access to an iconic Australian sporting team; the North Melbourne Kangaroos.
The regular involvement of the club’s stars like Daw at The Huddle is another feature and provides youngsters with genuine role-models to engage with and talk to. Drew Petrie, vice captain of North Melbourne, is another frequent visitor while Cameron Pedersen and Lindsay Thomas have also committed their time to help teach and support the students.
But The Huddle extends far beyond the four walls at Arden Street. There is a dedicated section in the stands at Etihad Stadium which allows students to watch the Kangaroos play during the Home and Away season and in Ballarat, a dedicated teacher is now on the ground helping spread The Huddle’s message.
Through it all, The Huddle continues to bring those who may have once felt isolated, in through its doors and into a warm and welcoming embrace.
