This past Saturday, Ryan Long, Joshua Webley and Noah Sabki from the Melbourne Capital Group team headed out to Bukit Kiara Equestrian Club to join the Malaysian Warriors for a training session. This was our first as the club's proud sponsor for the year. It was a great afternoon getting the team involved in trying out a new sport and helping grow the community here in Kuala Lumpur.
But before that, what is Australian football?
For anyone new to the sport, Australian football, often called Aussie rules, or AFL after the professional league it's best known for, is a fast-moving team game played on a large oval field with an oval ball. Two teams of eighteen aim to kick or handball the ball between four posts at each end, scoring six points for a goal through the central posts and one point for a behind through the outer posts. Players can run with the ball, bounce it as they go, pass it by hand (a handball) or by foot, and there's no offside rule, which makes for a game that flows end to end without the frequent stoppages seen in other football codes.
It's a physically demanding sport, blending elements that fans of rugby, football and basketball would all recognise. Though it originated in Melbourne in the 1850s and remains hugely popular across Australia, the game has a growing following well beyond it, with community clubs like the Malaysian Warriors introducing it to new players and spectators across Southeast Asia.
The Malaysian Warriors are a local Australian football club open to players of all backgrounds and experience levels, from Australians missing the game back home to Malaysians picking up an oval ball for the first time. Our sponsorship this year is about helping the club build their community and raise awareness of the sport, as well as planning a series of fundraising events in support of the Malaysian Heart Foundation, with the aim of raising both funds and awareness for heart health across the community.
A particular highlight of the day was the Malaysian Heart Foundation joining the session to run a CPR workshop with the team. The players worked through the basics of recognising cardiac arrest and performing effective chest compressions, skills that take only a short time to learn but can make a critical difference in the moments before medical help arrives.
A big thank you to the Foundation for taking the time to share these skills with the team. It's exactly the kind of practical, community-level education this partnership is built around, and a fitting complement to a sport that already asks so much of its players' hearts and lungs.
Want to get involved?
The Malaysian Warriors train every Saturday at 1.30pm, at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian Club, and sessions are open to anyone keen to give Australian football a go, no experience necessary. For details on where to find them and how to join in. check out the Malaysian Warriors on:
We're looking forward to sharing more from this partnership over the coming months, including details of the fundraising events we'll be running with the Malaysian Warriors in support of the Malaysian Heart Foundation. Watch this space.
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