Vice-Captain Dayne Zorko will represent the Brisbane Lions and the Australian Football League as a 2016 Australia Post Multicultural Player Ambassador.
From a Eastern European background (former Yugoslavia), Zorko, in addition to his role as an NAB AFL Auskick Ambassador, will support the ongoing development of the Queensland multicultural strategy to help unite diverse communities through Australian Football and will assist in programs including the Queensland All Nations Cup.
He will be joined by Geelong’s Tom Hawkins, Gold Coast SUNS players Adam Saad and Tom Nicholls, Fremantle’s Tendai Mzungu, Western Bulldogs’ Jason Johannisen, Sydney Swan Almir Aliir and Female footballers Sabrina Frederick-Traub and Darcy Vescio to promote Australia’s Game to many diverse backgrounds.
They will come together with existing Multicultural Player Ambassadors Bachar Houli (Richmond), Nic Naitanui (West Coast), Lin Jong (Western Bulldogs), Stephen Coniglio (GWS GIANTS), David Zaharakis (Essendon), Alipate Carlile (Port Adelaide), Jimmy Toumpas (Port Adelaide), Paul Puopolo (Hawthorn), and Shem Tatupu (Hawthorn).
Multicultural players currently make up 15 per cent of AFL player lists across the 18 AFL Clubs.
This year’s Ambassadors will be at the head of AFL Multicultural Round to be held this year in Round 16 of the Toyota AFL Premiership Season.
The round will again celebrate ‘Many Cultures One Game’ highlighting the community engagement initiatives undertaken by the Ambassadors and the Australian Football industry.
