The Victorian Equal Opportunity Commission has stolen a march on its sister organisations in other States by training athletes at the national level about their responsibilities under equal opportunity legislation.

"We have trained cricketers at Test, State and under 19 level (all are contracted to the Australian Cricket Board) and players in the National Soccer League," said the Commission's education and training officer Carmel White.

"Sport is where the whole notion of fairness is encapsulated," she said. "It is the one area where selection is actually based on merit. It is a good area to be involved in."

Ms White said the training was not in response to any perceived problem as such. She said athletes at the elite level were happy to be role models for good behavior and the ones she had come into contact with had made a strong commitment to fairness and anti-discrimination.

The soccer players had proven to be such "a good bunch" that she had become a fervent convert to soccer. There was no need to train the players at the Socceroo level because they were all trained through their clubs, said Ms White.

At this level the Commission reminds the athletes of their rights and responsibilities under the Australian Soccer Equal Opportunity Code, which it helped develop. It also developed cricket's Racial and Religious Vilification Code.

The Commission also assisted the AFL with Rule 30, its racial and religious vilification code. Information: email on soc@vicnet.net.au

Diversity in Australian soccer

Soccer is the world's greatest sporting obsession. And Australia boasts one of the world's great multicultural democracies.

So surely, soccer and Australia are made for each other, says Brendan Schwab, chief executive of the Australian Professional Footballers' Association (PFA).

But in recent years unwarranted attention has been focussed on some in our society, promoting intolerant views, he said.

Similarly, Australian soccer's development has been undermined by small groups wishing to promote violence and a continuation of the worst stereotypes associated with the game.

The PFA and Soccer Australia, with the assistance of the Equal Opportunity Commission of Victoria (EOCV), developed the Australian Soccer Equal Opportunity Code, and incorporated the code into the collective agreement which covers all players, clubs and officials in the National Soccer League.

Also, in conjunction with the EOCV, a series of training programs for all NSL players and officials about the code have been conducted.

"Everyone involved in Australian soccer has made it clear that Australian soccer's multicultural heritage is the sport's greatest asset," said Mr Schwab. "We trust all players and officials will benefit greatly from their involvement in the initiative. In particular, all professionals must understand their importance as role models, promoting the basic values of tolerance and diversity to set the right example for the grass roots of the sport, and the wider community."

Mr Schwab said the PFA would like to expressly acknowledge the support that the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs has provided the sport as part of its living in harmony initiative. Inquiries: 9252 2567.

Western regional football

Australian Rules football and an ethnic background go hand in hand in Melbourne's western suburbs with 42 nationalities playing in the Western Regional Football League (WRFL).

No wonder the League recognises multiculturalism as its biggest asset. It has a racial officer, Ian Hamm, who visits all 32 clubs and over 5000 players in relation to racial tolerance in sport and in the community.

The big individual draw, the Western Bulldogs has a 20,000 membership that looks like the United Nations, says leading businessman and Bulldogs' president David Smorgon.

He says the club has a multicultural day - this season's date has to be fixed - when representatives of more than 20 different ethnic groups parade their cultures.

The Bulldogs popular Care For Kids program also sends players around schools in the western region counselling them on their fitness and health and their moral responsibilities towards each other.

Inquiries for Western Region Football League: 9315 1377. for Western Bulldogs 9689 3100.

VFL

One of the great strengths of football at the VFL and suburban level is the prominence and acceptance of ethnicity, says Football Victoria marketing manager Peter Harley.

In 1998, Joskun Aziz, a Turkish Muslim, was captain of the Werribee team, and this year Williamstown's captain, the Lebanese champion Saade Ghazi will be honored with VFL membership.

Although isolated incidents involving racial vilification may occasionally arise, players such as the above have done so much to promote cultural diversity.

Football Victoria via its affiliates throughout the State and through its TAC Cup and VFL is a great vehicle through which to institutionalise the ideals of respect and appreciation for cultural diversity that underpin Diversity Victoria's campaign, says Mr Harley.

Inquiries: Peter Harley 9643 1979.