FALCONS WIN AUSTRALIA DAY AWARD

The West Perth District and the West Perth Football Club have jointly been recognised by the City of Joondalup as winners of the 2013 Premier’s Australia Day Citizenship Awards for a Community Group.

To win this award, winners need to have demonstrated leadership, have enhanced the lives of people in their communities and have acted as inspiring role models for others.

This award, presented by Mayor Troy Pickard, was proudly won by the West Perth District Football Development Council and the West Perth Football Club for their joint efforts and ongoing commitment and dedication to expanding and developing football opportunities for young people in the North West corridor of Perth.

In his speech, Mayor Pickard said “With such a diverse and multicultural demographic in Joondalup and the surrounding region, both organisations have embraced and engaged young people of all nationalities through a number of very successful programs involving local primary and high schools.

Both the West Perth Development Council and the West Perth Football Club organise and host regular school carnivals, holiday clinics, talent identification programs and regularly send out their players to meet and coach young people in our community. It is very pleasing to see one of the City’s major sporting clubs playing such a positive role in developing and providing opportunities for young people of all nationalities to play Australian Rules Football in the North West Corridor.

To recognize its growing multicultural community, West Perth replaced its traditional jumper for one game last season and wore a one-off alternative jumper sporting the British flag to acknowledge the large percentage of local Joondalup residents born in Britain. This symbolic multicultural initiative received much attention in the media, attracted a record attendance for the game and highlighted that West Perth acknowledges the enormous opportunities that exist to grow Australia Rules Football in the northern corridor of Perth – one of the fastest growing regions of migrant populations in Australia.”

West Perth Football Club President Brett Raponi was delighted with the win and paid tribute to the District staff that had done such an outstanding job in promoting Australian Rules Football. “Andrew Ridley and his team are to be congratulated for their initiative, hard work and desire to make a difference. As a football club, we were very proud to support this concept and look forward to many more great days like International Round.”

Falcons District Manager Andrew Ridley thanked the West Perth Football Club for their support and said the award was great recognition for the teamwork demonstrated by all the Falcons District and Club staff.