The AFL is pleased to announce the Bachar Houli Academy will tour Melbourne during the 2017 Toyota AFL Grand Final Week.

The Bachar Houli Academy is a week-long program which provides pathways for young Muslim men across the country aspiring to play AFL football.

The program focuses on strengthening players’ leadership skills, building their brotherhood and providing a unique football development opportunity.

The Bachar Houli Academy is an extension of the Bachar Houli Cup – a platform for Islamic schools across the country to play AFL against other schools in a friendly and fun environment.

Participants from the Bachar Houli Cup are selected into the Bachar Houli Academy – which focuses on high performance football talent for emerging players aged between 15-18 years from an Islamic background.

Richmond Football Club defender and Australia Post AFL Multicultural Ambassador, Bachar Houli, said he was proud that the Academy program is running for its sixth consecutive year.

“This program is a great way to engage youth in the community and to teach them about leadership during their developmental stage. I’m so grateful to see how the program has grown since being established in 2012,” Mr Houli said.

“The program is about inspiring a new generation of leaders and to give them the opportunity to achieve their goals.”

With players from across the country, the Bachar Houli Academy squad will showcase their talent against the Rookie Me Squad at Punt Road Oval on Thursday, 28 September.

AFL General Manager Game Development, Andrew Dillon, said the Bachar Houli Academy is a great example of how committed the AFL is to inclusion in Australia’s game.

“The Bachar Houli programs engage as many as 10,000 students across 30 Islamic colleges nationally. The Academy is a great program which gives these young men a pathway and opportunity to pursue AFL, while also learning leadership skills and values which can be utilised in their community and future careers.”

The Bachar Houli Medallist will be presented at an evening function on Thursday, 28 September.