At last weekend's Adelaide versus Fremantle match, participants aged from 5 to 13 from the 'Sporting Chance' program formed a guard of honour for the Crow's players. All the children have immigrated to Australia over the past year from countries like Sierra Leone and The Sudan.

Lutheran Community Care established the 'Sporting Chance' program earlier this year, designed at introducing African youths living in South Australia to the Australian way of life, with the help of Kilburn and North Adelaide football clubs and the AFL's Adelaide Crows.

A documentary entitled "Flying Boomerangs" will air on the ABC's Indigenous Affairs program "Message Stick", covering the tour by young Aboriginal Australians to South Africa to play Aussie Rules against local teams. A preview of the program is available at the National Indigenous Times website. "Flying Boomerangs" will air on ABC TV on Friday August 4th (6pm) and Sunday August 6th (1.30pm).

In recent years, the AFL has introduced a number of "themed" rounds each season. Rivalry, Grassroots and Heritage rounds each focussed on one particular aspect of football and gave it due recognition. Following their success, the AFL has introduced other complimentary rounds that have further played upon notions of "giving back" or "getting involved". One of the newly introduced themes this season was "Welcome to the AFL".

Reigning AFL premier the Sydney Swans have sent two of their Talent Recruiting Managers to South Africa. Perhaps this is the first of many scouting parties that will head there to see what level the players are at.

The Adelaide Crows have embarked on a program to encourage recent migrants to South Australia to become invovled in the great Australian game. Supporting other local football teams in the initiative, the AFL club recently invited thirty African children to a training session and tour of the facilities at AAMI Stadium (formerly Football Park).

Aussie Rules may not have conquered the troubled African nation of Zimbabwe just yet, but it has won a convert in recent arrival to Australia Tinashe Nyatsanga. He quickly fell in love with the sport and is now one of the game's most sought after commodities - an umpire.