The Footy Means Business partnership between Rio Tinto and the AFL ventured to new shores during March with three participants from the programme travelling to Papua New Guinea (PNG) as part of the Australia Week celebrations hosted by the Australian High Commission in PNG.
Through support from Rio Tinto and Bougainville Copper Limited, the three young Indigenous Australians travelled to Port Moresby for a cultural tour and to engage with local communities.
The three football enthusiasts included our very own Ben Masso, along with Wayne Miller, a building services trainer from Ceduna (SA) and Kevin Taylor, a second-year medical student from Port Hedland (WA).
They were selected to represent the Footy Means Business programme internationally as outstanding examples of leaders in employment, education and the football community.
Through the AFL PNG programme the trio were given the opportunity to lead an AFL skills clinic at a local primary school and were greeted by a crowd of eager students.
Ben Masso, diesel mechanic at Rio Tinto Alcan in Weipa said "The kids were so keen to have a go and we were all made to feel so welcome."
While in PNG the three young leaders also visited the war memorial cemetery at Bomana, paying tribute to fallen soldiers of World War II.
The week-long tour concluded with a day of exhibition matches organised by AFL PNG in conjunction with the Australian High Commission. Retired AFL players Chris Johnson, Tim Notting and Richard Champion took to the field in a "veterans" match alongside Australia's Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Islands Affairs, Richard Marles.
The Footy Means Business participants played in the main game between the Emerging Mosquitos and the AFL PNG Academy. They were joined on the field by Brisbane Lions premiership player and Brownlow medallist Jason Akermanis.
Participants in the Footy Means Business programme will next meet for the AFL's Indigenous Round in Melbourne this May, playing the curtain raiser game for the Richmond v Essendon match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The "Dreamtime at the G" round celebrates the contribution of Indigenous people to the game of AFL.
About Footy Means Business
Rio Tinto and the AFL launched the Footy Means Business partnership in 2010 to link young Indigenous men with mainstream employment and education opportunities using football as a springboard. The partnership provides 18 to 24-year-old Indigenous men with exposure to elite AFL programmes and training along with networking opportunities in corporate environments.
About Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and New York Stock Exchange listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
Rio Tinto's business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, thermal and metallurgical coal, uranium, gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide and salt) and iron ore. Activities span the world and are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in Asia, Europe, Africa and South America.
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