When Shemsiya Wako Waritu fled Ethiopia in 1995, she left everything behind. Her life, her culture, and the violence.
A world away from her loved ones, she begun a new life, in Australia. Slowly, she adapted to a culture and language she was unfamiliar with.
Helping her along was the Western Bulldogs Community Foundation program, providing language, leadership, health and sport lessons to migrants and refugees.
“I was like, ok, they believe in me, why don't I believe in myself,” she said.
“They gave me a lot of confidence and I went in and I did it not expecting much, and it changed me in a lot of ways.”
The premiership club is itself an example of how hard work and determination can pay off.
Underdogs in the 2016 AFL finals series, they overcame all odds to win the grand final for the first time in 62 years.
The Bulldogs hope to transfer those qualities at grassroots level through its settlement program, helping refugees feel at home in their new community.
“I didn't think that I can run, or I can even play sport, or even be around the sport," Ms Wako Waritu said of 'Ready, Settle, Go'.
Ethiopian refugee Shemsiya Wako Waritu at Whitten Oval with Western Bulldogs midfielder Lin Jong. Source: SBS
"But I was so happy they gave me that opportunity and they gave me that confidence of like, 'of course you can'.”
The program focuses on assisting communities in Melbourne's multicultural western suburbs, which is Bulldogs heartland.
Last year’s , South African-born Jason Johannisen, never dreamed he'd be standing on the premiership stage when he arrived in Australia as a seven-year-old.
“The only sport I really knew, was rugby at the time, when I first moved to Australia, and I was a bit different from the others, because everyone else was playing footy,” he said.
After he picked up a Sherrin, he never looked back.
“That's the great thing about the Australian community, it is very culturally diverse and there's a lot of different community backgrounds and stuff like that, and that's what's great about footy, that it can bring everyone together,” he said.
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Western Bulldogs midfielder, Lin Jong, didn't pick up a football until he was 15 years old. His father is from East Timor, his mother from Taiwan, and neither were familiar with the oval ball.
“You know, I was such a different face, and I was very different to everyone,” he told SBS World News.
“But it was just an easy transition into feeling like I really belonged on the team.”
The premiership club has helped 18,000 migrants and refugees so far through its program, which is held in partnership with settlement providers, like AMES.
Each term, they teach adults and students new sports, such as football, netball and badminton, before holding a mini tournament.
Western Bulldogs players Lin Jong and Jason Johannisen with 'Ready, Settle, Go' participants. Source: SBS
It also provides tips on health and wellbeing, diet and exercise.
“It's a tool to bring people together to engage in the community and I guess socialise with different cultures that you might not, usually,” Jong said.
That was the case for James Kot, who didn't know a word of English when he arrived in Australia.
“For myself, when I first came, I didn't know where to go, I didn't have any friends, I didn't know Australia well,” he said.
He credits the program for keeping him engaged and believes it could help guide other youth onto the right path too.
“For me to be here, it's really safe, it keeps me away from all the bad stuff,” he said.
And one never knows, the program might just produce some Western Bulldogs stars of the future.
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