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Fresh from life in the AFL system, Footscray Peter Jackson VFL player Reuben William has stepped into a role as one of five VFL Multicultural Ambassadors for 2018.
The 20-year-old former Brisbane rookie played three AFL games for the Lions in 2016-17 and now joins fellow ambassadors Goy Lok (Casey Demons), Michael Tang (North Melbourne), Brad Xavier (Werribee) and Akec Chuot (Carlton VFL Women’s) in giving young people with multicultural backgrounds a role model to identify with in Victoria’s premier football competitions.
William is also a Multicultural Development Officer in AFL Victoria’s Inner West region and his own pathway through football means he has plenty of experience to share with the young talent he’s helping nurture there.
Of South Sudanese descent, a four-year-old William escaped his war-torn homeland with his mother and three brothers in 2002. The family initially moved to Darwin before settling in Brisbane within a year, where William’s journey into Australian football began.
But in Queensland – where football isn’t as popular as in Victoria – that journey required a lucky start.
“I started playing footy in 2007 when I was nine years old,” William recalls.
“There’s a soccer club across the road from my junior club the Zillmere Eagles. My brothers and I actually went to sign up to play soccer, but then Mum decided to check out what was across the road and we ended up playing footy.
“We enjoyed it so much that it’s the only thing we’ve played ever since, pretty much.
“There are no offsides in footy and you can pick the ball up, kick it and do pretty much anything, so it really appealed to me. I was a big ‘footyhead’ growing up and I watched every game I could. The close games and the big marks really attracted me to the sport.”
In a state renowned for its love of rugby, 182cm William embraced Australian football and quickly developed into an athletic, line-breaking defender who represented his state in the TAC Cup and the NAB AFL U18 Championships.
He was selected from the Brisbane Lions Academy with pick no.20 in the 2015 AFL Rookie Draft and made his elite-level debut in Round 16 the following year – a long way from William’s humble beginnings in football, when the sport simply helped him integrate into Australian society.
“I’ve made some really good friends from footy,” William said. “Any multicultural kid you ask will say footy has helped them integrate into Australian culture, because there’s nothing more Australian than going to the footy on a Saturday and watching your team play.
“At the higher levels there’s a bigger emphasis placed on winning, but what I still find enjoyable is the camaraderie and having a laugh with my mates.”
William has played all six VFL matches for the Bulldogs so far in 2018, averaging 15 disposals and five tackles per game. With his driving goal to make it back onto an AFL list, he hasn’t reflected much on his rise to the top levels of Australian football.
But William is thankful that many aspiring multicultural footballers today – unlike himself as a youngster – know exactly what they can achieve in the game.
“A lot of them are really engaged in footy because they have some great role models in the system at the moment, particularly in terms of Sudanese boys,” William said.
“They have the opportunity to see a reflection of themselves at the highest level and that integrates them into the football system. It piques my interest when I see them engaged and I want to develop their love for the game.”
Fresh from life in the AFL system, Footscray Peter Jackson VFL player Reuben William has stepped into a role as one of five VFL Multicultural Ambassadors for 2018.
The 20-year-old former Brisbane rookie played three AFL games for the Lions in 2016-17 and now joins fellow ambassadors Goy Lok (Casey Demons), Michael Tang (North Melbourne), Brad Xavier (Werribee) and Akec Chuot (Carlton VFL Women’s) in giving young people with multicultural backgrounds a role model to identify with in Victoria’s premier football competitions.
William is also a Multicultural Development Officer in AFL Victoria’s Inner West region and his own pathway through football means he has plenty of experience to share with the young talent he’s helping nurture there.
Of South Sudanese descent, a four-year-old William escaped his war-torn homeland with his mother and three brothers in 2002. The family initially moved to Darwin before settling in Brisbane within a year, where William’s journey into Australian football began.
But in Queensland – where football isn’t as popular as in Victoria – that journey required a lucky start.
“I started playing footy in 2007 when I was nine years old,” William recalls.
“There’s a soccer club across the road from my junior club the Zillmere Eagles. My brothers and I actually went to sign up to play soccer, but then Mum decided to check out what was across the road and we ended up playing footy.
“We enjoyed it so much that it’s the only thing we’ve played ever since, pretty much.
“There are no offsides in footy and you can pick the ball up, kick it and do pretty much anything, so it really appealed to me. I was a big ‘footyhead’ growing up and I watched every game I could. The close games and the big marks really attracted me to the sport.”
In a state renowned for its love of rugby, 182cm William embraced Australian football and quickly developed into an athletic, line-breaking defender who represented his state in the TAC Cup and the NAB AFL U18 Championships.
He was selected from the Brisbane Lions Academy with pick no.20 in the 2015 AFL Rookie Draft and made his elite-level debut in Round 16 the following year – a long way from William’s humble beginnings in football, when the sport simply helped him integrate into Australian society.
“I’ve made some really good friends from footy,” William said. “Any multicultural kid you ask will say footy has helped them integrate into Australian culture, because there’s nothing more Australian than going to the footy on a Saturday and watching your team play.
“At the higher levels there’s a bigger emphasis placed on winning, but what I still find enjoyable is the camaraderie and having a laugh with my mates.”
William has played all six VFL matches for the Bulldogs so far in 2018, averaging 15 disposals and five tackles per game. With his driving goal to make it back onto an AFL list, he hasn’t reflected much on his rise to the top levels of Australian football.
But William is thankful that many aspiring multicultural footballers today – unlike himself as a youngster – know exactly what they can achieve in the game.
“A lot of them are really engaged in footy because they have some great role models in the system at the moment, particularly in terms of Sudanese boys,” William said.
“They have the opportunity to see a reflection of themselves at the highest level and that integrates them into the football system. It piques my interest when I see them engaged and I want to develop their love for the game.”
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