Community
18 April, 2023
Exciting MCG work experience
AFL Cape York student Walter Satrick has had a dream work experience stint at none other than the famous MCG in Melbourne.
Mr Satrick is currently undertaking a schoolbased Certificate III in Sports Turf Management at Half Moon Bay Golf Course.
To refine his skills and learn from the best, he spent three days immersed in the world of turf management and learned the trade secrets from legendary Michael Salvatore, the executive manager of turf at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which manages the MCG.
Starting work at 7.30am, Mr Satrick met groundskeepers and spent the day doing line marking, putting protective pads on the goalposts and preparing the ground after the recent Ed Sheeran concerts ahead of the round 1 AFL clash between Richmond and Carlton.
“It’s been a pleasure having Walter in the lead-up to round 1, and to be honest, it’s been very helpful to have an extra set of hands. If he keeps working hard, that’s the main thing,” Mr Salvatore said.
On the Thursday night of round 1, Mr Satrick experienced first-hand the Richmond and Carlton AFL game with a crowd of 88,000 people and saw the sights of Melbourne, including the Skydeck, almost 300m high, and dined at Federation Square at a relative’s restaurant, Mabu Mabu.
“Walter said this will go a long way to help him towards his certificate three, and he actually would like to move to Melbourne at the end of grade 12,” Peter Cushaway, career pathways officer at AFL Cape York House, said.
AFL Cape York House is a not-for-profit organisation, funded under the Federal and State Indigenous Housing Partnership programs and supported by Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Indigenous Schooling Support, Education Queensland and the Australian Football League.
AFL Cape York Boys and Girls Houses are purpose-built facilities aiming to provide accommodation, educational, employment and training opportunities for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women from some of Far North Queensland’s most remote communities in a culturally appropriate, safe and secure residential environment to ensure every boarding student has the opportunity to transition successful in to what they want to pursue.
AFL Cape York House aims to assist the transition from remote communities by working with families and the individual on their transition supports, providing a supportive and structured environment that is centred around culture and family by building positive relationships and like skills as they transition through secondary school.
