Puopolo making a difference

HAWTHORN’S Paul Puopolo is determined to make an impact – not just on the field, but also off it.

The impressive Hawk stars frequently in the brown and gold, but is also one of twelve current players who are playing a significant role in growing the game as AFL Multicultural Ambassadors.

This week the AFL celebrates its 2015 Multicultural Round, from August 7 to 9.

AFL Multicultural Round aims to highlight the contribution multicultural communities have made to the game and welcome new communities to embrace Australian football as fans, players, umpires or administrators.

Puopolo is relishing his role in helping promote and develop football within multicultural communities.

“My role this year has seen me helping out at a lot of schools, running programs and creating a bit of awareness for our cultural diversity,” he said.

“Australia is so diverse, and so is our game, and it’s about helping people learn about the game, teaching about different cultures and helping to make friends through the game.”

As a club, Hawthorn has a number of players with different cultural backgrounds, as Alastair Clarkson made mention of in a press conference last week.

“We’ve got a significant amount of them (cultures within our football club),” the Hawks’ coach said.

“We’ve got Alex Woodward, who’s got Asian background, Josh Gibson who’s got West Indian background and (Matt) Spangher and Puopolo, who have got European background.”

The club also has two rookie-listed New Zealanders – Kurt Heatherley and Shem Tatupu – and Puopolo said he was keen to raise awareness for the different cultures and football backgrounds at the club.

“What we want to try to do this year is get those guys with different backgrounds at our club out there a bit,” Puopolo said.

“Guys like Shem – his background and how he got involved in football – it’s these kind of stories that help make our game so great.”

Puopolo, who will wear special edition Italian-themed boots against West Coast Eagles on Saturday, has seen football within multicultural communities develop first-hand, particularly while working with a few players at Dandenong Stingrays.

“In a matter of four weeks, the guys went from not knowing how to kick a football to playing a game,” he said.

“Some of the stuff they were doing was pretty special.

“If we can help these kids develop, it brings a great future for the AFL, having these special talents involved.”