St Kilda’s annual Next Generation Schools Gala Day was held last Thursday, as over 150 young boys and girls from eight schools turned out in force to play Australian Rules football.

The Gala day is run each year in conjunction with AFL Victoria and is a celebration of multicultural participation in the City of Greater Dandenong.

A major component of the Saints’ community football arm focusses on increasing this multicultural participation in our game and fostering a love of footy from a young age.

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In 2018 alone, the Next Generation Schools program has had over 30 programs in different schools throughout the area.

From these schools, no less than 14 teams (eight boys’ and six girls’ teams) played four games each in the Saints Next Generation Schools Cup, with a Grand Final, Grand Final Sprint and dance-off to conclude the day.

Keysborough Primary School took out the boys’ competition, while Springvale Rise Primary were crowned winners in the girls’ tournament.

But the Gala was not just about the winners, it was a celebration of the massive increase in football participation by the area’s multicultural community.

And more than that, the exposure to competitive football will encourage students to participate more actively in AFL and potentially join community clubs in the area.

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Representatives from the Parkmore Pirates and the Noble Park Junior Football Club were also in attendance to help grow the game of AFL, handing out prizes and flyers.

The Saints also actively link participants in the NGA Schools Program with local junior clubs to grow the game of AFL in the City of Greater Dandenong.

The community football roots evident at the Gala grow stronger each year, as the Saints’ foothold in south-east Melbourne continues to increase.