Western Bulldogs Foundation Leverages MCG for CALDplay Gala Day

The Western Bulldogs Community Foundation recently hosted an inspiring Gala Day at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) as part of Cultural Diversity Week.

The event brought together over 400 adults and children, marking the culmination of a six-week program designed to introduce newly arrived Australians and refugees to Australian Rules Football, while fostering connection, confidence, and community integration.

Articulating the impact of the experience, Filomena, a representative from Duke Street Community House, said: “It was my first time ever there, along with so many of the ladies who attended, and it was an experience I will never forget. Just the vastness, size, and seating capacity were mind-blowing.”

“Then visiting the prestigious Members’ area, library, on the field, corporate boxes, and the change rooms—it’s all things we usually only see on TV,” she said.

The CALDplay initiative, now in its tenth year, showcases the Bulldogs Community Foundation’s commitment to diversity and social inclusion within Melbourne’s western suburbs.

By utilising sport as a unifying tool, the Foundation aims to help individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds feel integrated into their new environment. The Gala Day provided a high-profile platform for these efforts, taking place at one of Australia’s most iconic sporting venues.

Participants, representing over 25 nationalities including Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Vietnam, hailed from local English-language schools and community centres.

Many experienced their first visit to the MCG, engaging in skills sessions and exploring the stadium’s facilities, including a guided tour of the Members’ area, corporate boxes, change rooms, and the playing turf.

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