Thousands of Australian Rules Football fans were treated to a taste of multiculturalism at South Australian National Football League matches on 1 August.

The S.A.N.F.L. declared Round 18 the Multicultural Round and Multicultural S.A. organised for multicultural performing arts groups to entertain the crowds at each of the four matches.

Highlights included:

• Attorney-General’s Department Ambassador for Youth Opportunity and former A.F.L. star Gavin Wanganeen gave a skills lesson to about 20 Afghan refugees at Alberton Oval;

• The Cook Islanders’ Cultural Community drumming and dancing troupe and the Voice of Peace Choir, comprised of men and women from Burundi, Rwanda and Congo, performed between the Reserves and League matches;

• Lieutenant Governor and Chairman of the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission Mr Hieu Van Le and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, the Hon. Michael Atkinson M.P. tossed the coin for the League game between Port Adelaide and Central Districts;

• The Burundian Drumming Club and Indian-background Beats Bhangra dancers performed at Prospect Oval; the Greek Lyceum and Polish Folklore Ensemble Tatry performed at Richmond Oval and the City International Gospel Choir sang at Glenelg Oval;

• The South Australian Football Budget cover featured a photograph of schoolchildren from the New Arrivals Program at Cowandilla Primary School and, inside, articles on culturally and linguistically diverse background players of the past and present.

• The Office of Recreation and Sport and the FUSE Mentoring Program for young refugees had an information stall at each ground and gave away mini-footballs supplied by the Australian Football League.

Mr Le said the inaugural Multicultural Round was an outstanding success and he hoped it would inspire more migrant background South Australians to learn to play or support Australian Rules Football as a way of connecting with the community.

The cover of the SA Football

Budget on 1 August 2009

The Minister for Multicultural Affairs, the Hon. Michael Atkinson M.P. (in striped shirt), Lieutenant Governor and Chairman of the South Australian Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission Mr Hieu Van Le and Attorney-General’s Department Ambassador for Youth Opportunity and former A.F.L. star Gavin Wanganeen, with young Afghan-Australian men at Alberton Oval.

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