GIANTS Head Coach Kevin Sheedy says Saturday’s match against Melbourne is a great opportunity for the club to celebrate the cultural diversity of Western Sydney.

Sheedy was joined at SKODA Stadium by former Sydney Swans premiership player Tadhg Kennelly and members of the Auburn Tiger’s women’s team ahead of the match that will celebrate the Many Cultures of the region.

“It’s a unique area Western Sydney and this match will be tremendous,” says Sheedy. “You’ve got 600,000 people who’ve come into the west of Sydney from all over the world, we must make sure they connect with AFL and get to see it.

“Every time I get to talk to other people from around the world, when they actually get to see a game, they really enjoy it and that’s one of the good things about having a team playing here at Skoda Stadium,” he said.

Irish born Kennelly will be involved in a Gaelic football curtain raiser and believes the match will draw the interest of a range of different people.

“Western Sydney has so many different cultures and that’s what we want to do, introduce them to the game of AFL and why not introduce them to the GIANTS who are representing the game of AFL out here.

“When I first came to Sydney, we never exposed Western Sydney to the game. In 2000 we went to Homebush and did a promotion about how we’re going to play three games a year at the Olympic Stadium, and now look how big the game has got, we’ve got a new club here and it’s getting bigger and greater.

“The girls here from the Auburn Tigers are proof of that, three years ago they were able to set up their own club which is good to see.

The match against Melbourne is this Saturday August 3 at 1.45pm. Tickets are available from ticketmaster.com.au