THE WELCOME Game was back and bigger than ever last Saturday as the Melbourne Football Club celebrated the multicultural people living in the city.

This was the third installment of the club’s event and it proved to be a major success once again.

For the first time, The Welcome Game was played during Round 1, encouraging new fans to come along to the MCG for the first time and enjoy Australian Rules football.

With current Melbourne members donating scarves as part of a drive, new fans had the chance to wear the red and blue colours and develop a connection with the club.

As a result of this initiative, 6,500 people attended the game, the vast majority experiencing footy at the iconic MCG for the first time.

Fans had the opportunity to embrace some football activities throughout the afternoon during Melbourne’s clash with Port Adelaide, with over 500 people from three Chinese Language Schools experiencing a hands-on footy clinic at Gosch’s Paddock.

People from over 100 different countries engaged with the club last Saturday as they learnt about Australian Rules football’s rich history and got a taste of the game itself.

The Melbourne Football Club was proud to have the game take place as part of Cultural Diversity Week and join in the celebration of the people in this great city.