Blacktown City is delighted to host more than 300 teenagers from every state and territory of Australia this month for the 2018 AFL Diversity Championships.
Hosted at Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney, on the traditional lands of the Darug people, the event will run from Saturday 14 April – Thursday 19 April 2018.
Mayor of Blacktown City, Councillor Stephen Bali is ecstatic that Blacktown has again been selected to host the prestigious event. “It is fantastic to have each state represented in both Indigenous and multicultural sides, and I’m delighted that such a significant event will take place right here in Blacktown.”
“The diversity of Blacktown City’s people is our greatest asset. We have the largest urban population of Indigenous people in Australia and we proudly celebrate our cultural diversity: we have 188 different birthplaces and 182 different languages spoken in our City, said Mayor Bali.
Blacktown City Council will host the annual Diversity Championships until 2020. The Championships will feature over 300 young Indigenous and multicultural AFL players across 14 teams representing all States and Territories.
Currently in its fifth year, the AFL National Diversity Championships has been developed to provide a supported talented player pathway that compliments the NAB AFL Under-16 Championships and exposes Indigenous and multicultural players, coaches, umpires, doctors, and trainers to an elite AFL Program environment.
The championships are not just about sport; they also allow opportunities to learn about culture, identity and personal development. It’s a chance for players to share their stories and create support networks to aid their football development. The Diversity Championships reflect the current cultural landscape of Australia.
“Blacktown is proud to be a sporting city, and we aim to support athletes from grassroots all the way through to the elite level, added Mayor Bali.
“Blacktown International Sportspark Sydney is an Olympic legacy venue which Blacktown City Council operates to help foster the development of tomorrow’s best sporting talent.
“The fields you are playing on have hosted a variety of high quality AFL competitions, including matches from the inaugural season 2017 AFL Women’s competition , 7 years of AFL preseason matches and Under 16 & 18 National Championships and, in 2012, an AFL premiership game between GWS and West Coast.
“I encourage the community to head to the Sportspark and support the future stars of AFL.”
Veronica Steer | Key Venues Communications & Events Officer
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