North Melbourne Football Club Made A Huge Stand For Refugees At Yesterday’s AFL Finals Match
Just in case you still needed a team to barrack for.
In case you haven’t yet picked up on the 20 percent increase in public drunkenness and/or 70 percent volume jump of that one guy you know who’s always screaming about unlikely animals fighting, the AFL Finals have just started. In the first knock-out round of the season, the Eagles beat the Hawks, the Dockers beat the Swans, the Crows beat the Bulldogs, and the Kangaroos beat the Tigers.
But for those less interested in the actual results, one of the most exciting events happened before that last game even started. In front of an estimated 90,000 people at the MCG, North Melbourne forwent their usual banner with the team’s name and logo in favour of another emblazoned with a message of support for refugees.
Our banner via @klioness: 'NMFC welcomes refugees' #AFLFinals pic.twitter.com/QXAD11zmNx
— North Melbourne (@NMFCOfficial) September 13, 2015
Over the past few months especially, similar messages have been common in European football with clubs trying to support those affected by the escalating humanitarian crisis. Bayern Munich has offered an aid donation of €1 million and a training camp for newly-settled asylum seekers. Celtic are negotiating a similar donation, and Borussia Dortmund have since pledged hundreds of free tickets.
Importantly, the fans have also got involved. Though it’s been a relatively common sight for the past few years, recent matches have been flooded with crowds carrying banners which read “Refugees Welcome”.
German football fans hold up these amazing banners last weekend. Imagine that happening in Australia… pic.twitter.com/OAZlHlyyzw
— Mark Di Stefano (@MarkDiStef) September 1, 2015
Though Western City Wanderers fans were spotted with a similar sign last year and protestors draped another banner on court at the Australian Open, North Melbourne Football Club seems to be the first Australian team — and certainly the first within the AFL — to make such an official public statement on the matter.
Their supporters seem pretty stoked with it:
Inspiring banner by North Melbourne @NMFCOfficial football club: "N.M.F.C. WELCOMES REFUGEES". Great leadership Roos pic.twitter.com/HRY4W0AHzk
— David Manne (@david_manne) September 14, 2015
.@NMFCOfficial banner says 'NMFC Welcomes Refugees'. So proud.
— Andrew McDonald (@andrewmcdonald) September 13, 2015
"North Melbourne welcomes refugees" – fantastic banner from the Kangaroos. #AFLFinals
— Denham Sadler (@denhamsadler) September 13, 2015
In fact, this is something NMFC have been passionate about for some time now. In conjunction with the Scanlon Foundation and the Australian Multicultural Foundation, the club has been running sports and social programs for young migrants and refugees since 2010.
Just a bunch of cute kids being cute together. (via The Huddle)
This is all a very roundabout way of saying, if your team’s already been kicked out, or your sporty friends are pressuring you into picking a side for finals, you could probably do worse than these guys.
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Feature image via Rick Cutrona/Twitter.