Over the past days I have watched with dismay as the twitterverse has demonised Kevin Sheedy for Sunday’s off-the cuff remarks. My dismay comes from an informed position and so I would like to share my own experiences of the Giants.

I have spent the better part of my life working with migrant and refugee youth, finding ways to make Australia home, to build their ties to new people and a new culture. Many of the young people we work with face a number of difficult challenges as they try to settle in Australia. Conflict with family, risk of homelessness and problems at school are often combined with sadness, loss and loneliness.

Working with youth means working with sport and so my organisation, the Centre for Multicultural Youth works across every code. The best strategies for inclusion turn the familiar into the shared. Sport has the power to create a bond that defies language barriers and cuts through cultural difference. Support the same colours and you belong to a family of thousands. Playing an Australian institution like the AFL can be a powerful way to connect to Australian culture.

The increasing commercialisation of sport has created a profit imperative and a race to market membership to new migrants.  Most clubs now have multicultural strategies and programs to build community engagement – but then every club is different. Each club has its own culture and there is a sliding scale of commitment. As a youth worker, the best sports organisations to work with are the ones that have leaders with intentions that run deeper than just bums on seats.

I worked with Essendon during Sheedy days there and I served with him on Keating’s multicultural council. In my circles Kevin Sheedy is a legend – not because he has coached successive teams to victory – but for his inclusive approach. Sheedy has been part of a movement to turn a definitive Australian pastime into a tool for social change – to develop AFL into a game where everyone belongs. I now sit on the Migration Council Australia with GWS Chair Tony Shepherd who has taken up the mantle of sport for social cohesion.

When I was looking for some support to build up youth support services in Sydney’s west, the Giants were only too happy to help. Under Shepherd and Sheedy, GWS has taken the virtuous road. Their is a five to ten year vision. Not just to win fans today, but to serve the interests of the GWS community, to help a generation of young people to develop and to give them the best chances at life. From the establishment of a life long learning centre down to the staff they have employed GWS is taking the right approach.  

I am happy to report that with the help of the Giants and local settlement service providers we are developing a multicultural youth-specific service, supporting young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. It is the first of its kind in Sydney. It will help with education and employment pathways and will strengthen young people’s ability to settle well through stronger participation in work, school, family and in the community.

Sheedy’s wording was unfortunate. However his comments likely come from the frustration of a coach trying to do good in a world that judges success on ticket sales. GWS are not engaging in ‘quick fix’ multicultural membership drives. Instead they are supporting the local service system in providing an inclusive and responsive environment for young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. Their legacy will last a lifetime and not a season.

Sport is a cultural practice and my experience of GWS is that they are genuine in their efforts to build a culture of inclusion. I am proud to partner with them.

Carmel Guerra                                                                                                                                                        CEO Centre for Multicultural Youth