The Bachar Houli Foundation (BHF) has proudly played a role in the AFL’s 2026 Cultural Heritage Series, helping celebrate the diverse cultures, communities and stories that continue to shape Australian football.
Presented by the AFL and all 18 clubs, the Cultural Heritage Series is a league-wide initiative recognising the cultural heritage of fans, players, participants and communities across the game.
Under the theme Many Cultures, One Game, the Series is being brought to life throughout the 2026 AFL and AFLW seasons through ambassador storytelling, community engagement and matchday experiences.
As part of the Series, the Bachar Houli Foundation engaged with AFL clubs both on and off the field, creating opportunities to strengthen cultural understanding and provide meaningful experiences for young people from diverse backgrounds.
Bachar Houli OAM, the Foundation and the Islamic College of Sport visited Essendon Football Club to deliver a Discovering Islam workshop for players and staff, providing an opportunity to learn more about the Islamic faith, explore the distinction between culture and religion, and build greater cultural understanding.
The Foundation’s involvement also extended to matchday experiences, with BHF participants from the Bachar Houli Cup invited to the Richmond Football Club’s Round 23 match against St Kilda as part of the Cultural Heritage Series.
Houli spoke to Fox Footy during Richmond’s clash with the Saints at the ‘G, highlighting the significance and importance of the initiative.
“Richmond has been sensational when it comes to all communities…to be able to invite our schools and our programs into such an important round just goes to show the investment in the Bachar Houli Foundation. I couldn’t be proud enough to be a Tiger and a member of the Richmond Football Club,” Houli said.
Together, these initiatives reflect the Foundation’s commitment to strengthening connections between Australian football and diverse communities, while creating opportunities for greater understanding, inclusion and participation across the game.
