ERA For Change Football Team
On Sunday, 24th of May, students from St Joseph’s Nudgee College, St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace, St Patrick’s College, and St James’ College came together with Sri Lankan and Sudanese refugees to form an ERA For Change football team which competed in the annual Multicultural Development Association Refugee Football Fiesta. The event, consisting of more than 30 teams of local refugees was hosted by Gregory Terrace at Tennyson, as a way to celebrate refugee communities within Brisbane and its surrounding areas. The aim of the carnival is to bring refugees from differing nations together to foster multicultural harmony and to show welcome and inclusivity. During the day we wore Terrace jerseys, Nudgee socks, and St Pat’s and St James’ shorts. Although we looked a bit strange, this was a great symbol of our EREA brother and sister schools coming together to stand in solidarity with refugees in our community.
It was quite a high standard of football, and we lost our first two games against FC Korea and Guinea fairly convincingly. Before the next game however, against event organisers MDA United, the Sri Lankan and Sudanese refugees on our team brought the team together and explained how we should play our next game. They came up with great tactics which looked like would be a success against this team. This proved to be the case as we managed to produce a 3-0 victory. The match finished with laughter arising from both teams involved, and as we were getting changed, a member of the unaccompanied Hazara Refugees team asked politely if we wanted to play a friendly match against them as their opposing team had left. We quickly put our gear back on and raced over to the field, and after a very close game ERA For Change scored with just minutes remaining for a 3-2 win.
I would like to thank everyone who was involved in making this great occasion possible. Even though the red and black Terrace jersey still felt odd on my blue and white skin, it was a fantastic cause and it was an honour to be involved in such an amazing occasion like this bringing the refugee communities and our schools together. Thankyou!
By
Max Homer, Nudgee College Yr 11
It was quite a high standard of football, and we lost our first two games against FC Korea and Guinea fairly convincingly. Before the next game however, against event organisers MDA United, the Sri Lankan and Sudanese refugees on our team brought the team together and explained how we should play our next game. They came up with great tactics which looked like would be a success against this team. This proved to be the case as we managed to produce a 3-0 victory. The match finished with laughter arising from both teams involved, and as we were getting changed, a member of the unaccompanied Hazara Refugees team asked politely if we wanted to play a friendly match against them as their opposing team had left. We quickly put our gear back on and raced over to the field, and after a very close game ERA For Change scored with just minutes remaining for a 3-2 win.
I would like to thank everyone who was involved in making this great occasion possible. Even though the red and black Terrace jersey still felt odd on my blue and white skin, it was a fantastic cause and it was an honour to be involved in such an amazing occasion like this bringing the refugee communities and our schools together. Thankyou!
By
Max Homer, Nudgee College Yr 11