Despite the wet weather, it was smiles all round for the kids who attended the AFL Multicultural Gala Day yesterday.  Led by AFL Multicultural Ambassador Nic Naitanui, the West Coast Eagles squad members did their bit to promote the game.

With the squad splitting up to cover multicultural events in both the northern and southern suburbs of Perth, Naitanui ensured he visited all students involved in the day, and headed to both Ferndale and Padbury.

“Today is our big Multicultural Gala Day, so we had one south and one north. We’ve had hundreds of kids at both venues which is a great result,” Naitanui said.

“It’s just a lot of kids from different backgrounds getting involved in footy.

“It is something I’ve been fortunate to be involved in with the AFL , and having that Multicultural Ambassador role means I can help put these days together and give young kids something to do.

“For the majority of the kids down here today, it’s just about having fun and to learn. I’ve told them to ask lots of questions, because the boys are pretty knowledgeable not just in their sport, but in their health and their education as well.”

Despite the wet weather, Naitanui says the day was a terrific initiative and looked forward to its continued success in the future.

“The weather gods didn’t turn it on for us today, but I think everyone still had a great time,” he said.

“Everyone got to meet their favourite Eagles, get an autograph, and hopefully learn something about AFL footy while having fun at the same time.

“That’s what it’s all about.”