Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in AFL

Running head: UNDERSTANDING AND MANAGING DIVERSITY
Understanding and Managing Diversity
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1UNDERSTANDING 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

2UNDERSTANDING 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