On ball … Dinjerra Primary School student Zakareya runs with ball in this game against St Albans Primary. 54370 Picture: DAMJAN JANEVSKI
By Michael Esposito
THE Multicultural Schools Cup, coordinated by the Western Bulldogs, was again a major success with more than 200 school students taking part in the Years 5-6 tournament in Sunshine on Thursday.
St Albans Primary School won the boys competition after defeating St Andrews Primary School, the only Werribee-based school in the tournament, in the final. It was a reversal of fortunes in the girls’ competition with St Andrews defeating St Albans.
Other schools participating in the tournament were St Albans Heights Primary School, Glengala Primary School, Footscray Primary School, Dinjerra Primary School, Mother of God Primary School and Ardeer Primary School.
AFL Multicultural Development Officer Nish Moses said the tournament, which started in 2006, was a great way to introduce children, especially migrants, to Aussie Rules.
“They have a five-week clinic throughout the year, which teaches them the basics, and this tournament is an opportunity for schools to come together to showcase what they learnt,” he said.
“In the past there’s been heaps of examples of kids doing this and then going to a local club after and joining up the next year. That’s the ideal pathway.”
Moses said the tournament was the only chance some schools got to take part in an inter-school competition.
Ardeer Primary School’s physical education coordinator Tim Pham said football was a foreign game to many of his students.
“Some of them are still learning the rules, but the ones that have been involved with the program for the last couple of years really enjoy it. It’s not the main sport at our school but we try to get them involved as much as we can,” he said.
Pham said several students had gone on to play club footy for Albion and Deer Park after undertaking the skills program run by the Bulldogs.
