The beautiful game has always been about more than goals, and this new Immigration Museum exhibition is here to prove it.
Home is Football: Belonging in Australian Soccer opens at the Immigration Museum on 13 June, exploring how football has shaped community and identity across Australia.
From local parks to packed stadiums, the exhibition digs into the role the sport plays in connecting Australians from all walks of life, and you don’t need to have ever laced up a pair of boots to feel right at home.
Immigration Museum – Home is Football: Belonging in Australian Soccer
- Immigration Museum, 400 Flinders Street, Melbourne
- Opens 13 June
- Tickets here
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Nine current and former footballers share their personal stories, revealing what drew them to the game and what kept them there. There’s a pitch-turf video wall where visitors can take a seat on the bench and watch football experiences play out, plus a deeper look at how the sport has evolved over time and what it means to belong to Australia’s many football communities.
The exhibition has been produced with co-creator Melbourne Victory Football Club and Professional Footballers Australia, and spotlights a seriously diverse lineup of players. These range from Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou and Matildas goalkeeper Lydia Williams, to Hakeem al-Araibi, whose story extends far beyond the pitch.
Featured players span a wide range of backgrounds and levels of the game.
On the professional side, the exhibition includes Ange Postecoglou (former Socceroos coach and South Melbourne FC player), Matildas goalkeeper Lydia Williams, Hakeem al-Araibi (formerly of Bahrain and Pascoe Vale FC), Thomas Deng (Yokohama F. Marinos and former Melbourne Victory and Socceroos player), and Bahara Kohistani of the Afghan Women’s National Team and Melbourne Victory.
Community and grassroots football also gets its moment, with Andrea Martin from the former Australian Women’s Soccer Squad (now the Matildas) and Greensborough, Charlotte Doherty of blind football outfit The Bilbies, Stuart Bonner (player and president of Melbourne Rovers Soccer Club), and the Brunswick Zebras Football Club’s 2011 lineup all featuring in the show.
For more information, head here.
This article was made in partnership with Museums Vic.
