As the AFL celebrates multiculturalism this round, Fremantle have teamed up with Friend of the Foundation, Edmund Rice Centre to promote AFL as a game for everyone.

Fremantle Dockers players went to Balga on Tuesday night to run a training session with children from the centre at Barry Britton Reserve.  

Edmund Rice assists people from refugee, migrant and other cultural backgrounds, providing them with a range of programs, including English classes, life skills and youth and sporting programs.

Edmund Rice Centre youth programs coordinator Bella Ndayikeze said the AFL program offered at the centre provides many great opportunities.

“The whole purpose of it is to engage children and just help them to transition into clubs, giving them opportunities to experience what AFL is all about,” she said.

“As we go into AFL Multicultural Round we love promoting kids from different backgrounds.”

Fremantle defender Alex Pearce was fortunate enough to spend time with the kids, alongside fellow players Luke Ryan and Griffin Logue and Fremantle AFLW player Kellie Gibson.

Pearce said he loved seeing all the kids come together, despite being from different cultural backgrounds.

“It’s definitely good to see lots of cultures coming together, they all had a great time playing footy, which is what we’re all about,” he said.

“There were some kids that showed some really good skills out there as well.”

Fatoumata Toure who is the captain of the Under 10’s Edmund Rice Lions football club, came to Australia from Africa in 2010 and said she loves playing AFL.

“I started last year and I played because I wanted to try a new sport out and I enjoyed it a lot because it’s fun.”

Ndayikeze said having the Freo players at the training session meant a lot to the children from Edmund Rice.

“Having them interact and teaching them some skills, it’s quite beneficial for some of these kids, because some of them don’t even know who the Fremantle Dockers are,” she said.

“It’s a great opportunity to create awareness about the team, that there is a pathway for them, especially for the girls with Kellie Gibson here today.”