Where Kippahs, Hijabs and Football Jerseys share the Pitch

What do kippahs, hijabs, and football jerseys have in common? They all featured at the inaugural United in Play – Strike Gala, which brought colour, culture, and connection to Melbourne’s eastern suburbs on Sunday 23 March. With over 30 junior teams playing across the day, it was more than just what happened on the field — the real magic was in the conversations and the unexpected friendships forming between games.

Players aged 9 to 13 moved between social 5-a-side matches, Melbourne Victory-led skills sessions, and ‘come & try’ zones. Music from the DJ tent set the pace, while Mama Falafel served up lunch — with families from Jewish, Indigenous, Muslim, South Asian, African, and other multicultural backgrounds coming together; a shared table in every sense.

There were no finals or ladders. No trophies or tallies. Just kids connecting through football, crossing passes with teammates they’d met minutes earlier, and celebrating goals like they’d known each other for years.

Timed to coincide with Harmony Week, Strike is part of United in Play — Maccabi Victoria’s bold new sports-based initiative to build bridges across communities through grassroots sport. Backed by Sport and Recreation Victoria, the program expands on the legacy of the Henry Jolson Pathways Program. It now goes beyond AFL to include soccer and basketball, while staying focused on cultural diversity, social cohesion, and access.

A highlight of the day came when Mursal Sadat, former Afghanistan national women’s team player, took the mic to share her story. Her words — quiet but steady — carried weight. She spoke about fleeing the Taliban, arriving in Australia, and how football helped her reclaim a sense of identity and belonging.

‘We had no connection to the people who helped us — they didn’t know our stories,’ Sadat told the crowd. ‘But what they understood was that we came from this field of soccer. That we were a family through something. That’s the power of sport.’

The timing couldn’t have been more relevant. With growing concern around racism, antisemitism and polarisation in Australian communities, United in Play offers a space where connection is the priority — where culture is shared, not siloed. Events such as these are not just ‘nice to haves’ — they’re necessary.

‘What we saw today was a reminder of what sport can be,’ said Maccabi Victoria Coordinator, Simone Grinberg. ‘A space where kids aren’t judged by where they come from, but how they play, how they show up, and how they treat each other.’

The Strike Gala was made possible by a long list of collaborators: Maccabi Caulfield Football Club, Football Victoria, Melbourne Victory, Stand Up, the Reagan Milstein Foundation, and the State Government, with thanks to the tireless crew of volunteers who kept it running smoothly across the day.

AFL and basketball editions of United in Play are set to roll out later this year, as Maccabi Victoria continues to lead from the front — not only as a Jewish community organisation but as one committed to genuine multicultural engagement through action.