With issues surrounding racism in the AFL arising over the last few weeks, the ‘Multiculturalism in Australian Football’ exhibition couldn’t be more timely.

Launched at Victoria’s Immigration Museum earlier this week, photographs of some of the game’s most prominent legends adorn the walls, including Carlton Hall-of-Famer Anthony Koutoufides, Collingwood’s goal aficionado Peter Daicos and Melbourne Demon Jim Stynes, along with Geelong’s George Tansing, of Chinese heritage, and Czechoslovakian long kicker Paul Vinar.

Open to the public until October 31, the exhibition gives an insight into the cultural diversity that has always been a part of the AFL.

At the launch on Wednesday, Immigration Museum manager Padmini Sebastian reaffirmed that “football is one of the most powerful games here in Victoria, as well as Australia”, and went on to highlight that the game is “a powerful vehicle to promote and celebrate our rich, culturally diverse heritage.”

Also speaking at the launch were the AFL’s head of diversity, Jason Mifsud, along with Koutoufides and St Kilda’s Ahmed Saad.

“Hopefully when people look at these images they don’t just see football excellence, they see cultural excellence,” said Mifsud.

“They tell incredibly empowering stories for all communities.”

Prior to the launch, the photographs were displayed at the MCG last weekend as part of the multicultural round.

In a first in AFL history, each of the matches played during the 19th round were commentated and broadcast in one of seven foreign languages, including Greek, Hindi, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Italian, Spanish and Arabic.

Mifsud, moved by the experience, said “I never thought I’d see it in my lifetime”.

“I had the privilege of sitting in the docks with Manpreet [Kaur Singh] who called the Collingwood-Carlton game. It was a relatively uninspiring game, to be honest, but in Hindi, it sounded unbelievably inspiring.”

Multiculturalism in Australian Football will be showing at the Immigration Museum until October 31.

For more information, visit www.museumvictoria.com.au/immigrationmuseum

Source: The Age