Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in AFL

This assignment analyzes the importance of diversity and inclusion within the Australian Football League (AFL). It examines current initiatives and policies implemented by the league to promote inclusivity, focusing on areas like racial discrimination, gender equality, and cultural integration. The document proposes practical steps the AFL can take to further enhance its commitment to diversity, including improved recruitment practices, stronger anti-discrimination measures, and increased participation opportunities for women.

Running head: UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING DIVERSITY
Understanding and Managing Diversity
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

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UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING DIVERSITY
Introduction
Australian football League is considered as one of the strange paradox among the
other football leagues in the globe. This is because of their ability to bridging the gap
between cultural and ethnic barriers. The organization has always focused in bringing
communities together. The team has recently realized that it has players from about 20
nationalities all over the world playing for them and they will continue such diversity even in
future. This has made Australian Football League different from other football leagues in the
world (humanrights, 2017). The paper discusses about the type of diversity the company
maintains within its team and with other connected members. It further analyses the diversity
management strategies that the company has followed and further improvement required in
the strategies.
Discussion
Identification of Diversity
Australian Football League is one of the responsible sports bodies that maintain the
rules of football in Australia. The league has been operating in the country as one of the non-
profit organization as it distributes its profits to its constituent clubs in Australia. The league
has gained its fame due to a different approach that it has followed. The unique approach of
the team towards sports is maintaining diversity within them. Diversity that has been
maintained within the team and outside with its partners is religion and gender diversity
(Vilification Framework, 2017).
The organization has a strong belief in religion equality and thus includes players
from various religion backgrounds. All the players in the team are respected for the effort

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UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING DIVERSITY
they are giving, whether they are juniors or seniors. AFL also maintains strong rules for
people carrying out racial discrimination within the team.
AFL also maintains gender equality within its team by including both men and
women in the team. As football is a game that has been solely considered as a men game
from the day it has begun, AFL has tried to change the mindset by including women players
in football. The football team that the league has formed is known as the AFL women’s
national league (Adelaidenow, 2017).
Managing Diversity
Managing cultural and religion diversity within the team is not an easy task as it
involves a lot of controversies and issues within the team members and game lovers in that
country. However, AFL has introduced a vilification framework under which it has stated
zero tolerance level for any kind of disagreement within the team for religion or culture
(Vilification Framework, 2017). It has clearly stated that the team has to welcome and form
an inclusive environment for all players and members of the Australian Football. Such
cultural diversity was necessary within the team as Australian has people from almost 270
ancestries. Rule 30 stating the discrimination between racial and religion vilification among
the AFL players was introduced. The rule stated intolerance for racial and religious
discrimination.
Another diversity management that the league has carried out is for gender inequality.
AFL has started including women in football, which was previously considered as a men
game. The league believes that women should remain parallel with men in everything, be it
game or any other activities. Thus, Australian football started women football league in
which women can actively show their skills in the game. Since the day the women football
league has started, it was seen that women were able to achieve senior umpiring ranks even in

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UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING DIVERSITY
the men AFL games (Adelaidenow, 2017). This has made football league of Australia a game
for everyone. Such an effort made by AFL has helped in reducing the level of violence
towards women and children. The Vilification Framework introduced by AFL also aimed at
reducing gender inequality in the game. To reduce gender inequality, the organization has
also increased the inclusion of women in men AFL a coach. This has helped altering the
thinking among the players that a women cannot play a game that has been designed solely
for men (Vilification Framework, 2017).
There were various incidents on racial discrimination in AFL in which people from
other racial backgrounds are taunted and abused. The situation got wore day by day.
However, the organization has been able to take steps for the concern in 2011. Strong actions
were taken against people that conduct such discrimination. In 2011, Justine Sherman was
banned from many games just because he racially vilifies other players. Such racial
discrimination incidents also led to resignation of AFL’s national community manager
(Humanrights.gov.au, 2017).
Some incidents of sexual harassment have also taken place in AFL in which the
organization has taken active steps. In has made a video and has issued it to all AFL members
in order to educate them about correct attitude towards opposite sex (Humanrights.gov.au,
2017).
Recommendation
Even though Australian Football League has taken various steps in including gender
and cultural diversity in their team as well as the game, there are certain steps that the
organization can take to implement it in a better way or expand it further. This will help the
league not only include diversity within its organization; it will also allow them to spread
such motive to other teams involved in football game. Moreover, they can ease out their

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UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING DIVERSITY
processes, which will help them intake people from diverse culture and gender, instead of
implementing policies later.
AFL should design an intake process for the team, which will enable them to
successfully recruit people from different culture and increase the number of women in the
game. In the recruitment process, the organization can include agencies and explain them
their policies so that they recruit people accordingly.
For reducing racial discrimination cases, the organization should formulate a policy in
which it should try to include players from various racial backgrounds and conduct activities
in which everybody in the team can take part. Moreover, penalties should b set for people
keeping such mindset about any other communities.
Further, while recruiting players the organization should make sure that they clearly
explain the company policies to them so that they do not create any cultural issues in future.
The players should be explained clearly that the company has zero tolerance for diversity.
This will help them effectively deal with any issues coming from the cultural ground.
For women players the organization should arrange more games for women compared
to men and should include games in which both men and women can play together. This will
help the team to maintain true gender equality between men and women by keeping them on
a same platform.

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UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING DIVERSITY
References
Adelaidenow.com.au. (2017). It is everyone’s game — male and female. Retrieved 27
November 2017, from
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/afl/expert-opinion/michelangelo-rucci/sexism-
has-turned-from-men-to-women-in-australian-football/news-story/
4e60ad61ea47b1474aa9c0eb003ab0f8
Coulter, T. J., Mallett, C. J., & Singer, J. A. (2016). A subculture of mental toughness in an
Australian Football League club. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 22, 98-113.
humanrights.. (2017). Australian rules football: Australian Football League. Retrieved 27
November 2017, from
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/racial_discrimination/
whats_the_score/pdf/afl.pdf
Humanrights.gov.au. (2017). AFL stands up against racism | Australian Human Rights
Commission. Retrieved 28 November 2017, from
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/news/stories/afl-stands-against-racism
Vilification Framework. (2017). afl.com.au. Retrieved 27 November 2017, from
http://s.afl.com.au/staticfile/AFL%20Tenant/AFL/Files/Respect%20and
%20Responsibility/AFL_Vilification_Policy.pdf
Williams, W. (2017). AFL Women’s League Kicking Goals for Gender
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