Australian
Screen

Teacher’s notes

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This clip shows an under-16 soccer match between Clifton Hill United and Banyule City, two teams from Melbourne. Clifton Hill United wins three goals to nil.

Educational value points

• The clip provides an animated portrayal of young soccer players from Clifton Hill United, a soccer club located in the inner-northern suburbs of Melbourne that includes players from Greek, Turkish and Vietnamese backgrounds. In the past, the club was made up of predominantly Greek–Australian members. It opened its doors to the broader community in an attempt to expand declining numbers.

• Soccer is played by people from diverse backgrounds in Australia and the ethnocentrism that prevailed in the past is diminishing. While soccer teams in Australia have tended to form around ethnic groupings within particular suburbs, this is changing to reflect broader cultural views that celebrate Australia’s diversity. The Australian National League was restructured to become the Australian A League in August 2005, and the new teams were based on regions rather than ethnicity.

• Footage is included of a boy providing an animated display after being tripped. Such idiosyncrasies and theatrics are inherent in soccer culture. Theatrics can be tame, when the intention is simply to taunt the opposition, but there are also examples where the expression of conflicting political, social or religious values between teams has led to violence and riots among spectators. Violence and riots have been a serious issue in Europe and, although not such a problem in Australia, there have been some occurrences that have led to increased security and crowd control at Australian A League games.

• Soccer is the most widely played sport in the world and the clip includes footage of an Australian local-level league soccer competition. Although soccer has not attracted the same level of media publicity or support in Australia as the Australian Football League (AFL), its profile continues to grow, especially following the success of the national men’s team, which qualified for the 2006 FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup in Germany. Administration has also improved, with the formation of the Football Federation of Australia. As a result, more young Australians are playing soccer, and AFL, considered in some parts of Australia to be the national sport, increasingly has to compete with soccer to recruit talented young people.

• The clip showcases the work of Steve Thomas, an Australian documentary filmmaker. Thomas has written, directed and produced many successful Australian documentaries, including Black Man’s Houses (1992), Harold (1995), Errand of Mercy (1998), Least Said, Soonest Mended (1999), which won a United Nations Association Media Peace Award in 2000, Family Foibles (2001) and Welcome to Woomera (2004). The Hillmen: A Soccer Fable was the winner of the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Television Documentary in 1996, and was inspired by Thomas’s son Danny being a member of Clifton Hill United.

This clip starts approximately 32 minutes into the documentary.

Spectators cheer as Clifton Hill United, in blue, walk onto the soccer field to play Banyule City, in maroon. During play one of the Clifton Hill United players is tripped and receives a penalty. He runs across the field, in celebration. The penalty results in a goal. The score is displayed on screen as a graphic and indicated by a drum beat: Clifton Hill United, 1; Banyule City, 0. The player celebrates loudly, kissing his guernsey, and pointing to the number 9 on his back.
Stan Stokes, Clifton Hill United club secretary These Vietnamese are playing all day and all night if you let them.

Clifton Hill continues to control the ball and, cheered on by the crowd, the boy kicks another goal. The score is now Clifton Hill United, 2; Banyule City, 0. Stan Stokes laughs. The boy screams after scoring a second goal and celebrates loudly again while taunting the opposition.
Banyule City team member sitting on the sidelines Come here and do it! Come here and do it! Come here!
Coach of Banyule City Rick! Rick! Stop it!

Banyule City attempts a goal and misses. One player pounds the soil in frustration. Spectators are yelling encouragement.
Clifton Hill United Supporter Every time I’ve said something in the past, I’ve always jinxed the team so I’ll just wait 'til the end – better that way.
Spectator Go Craig, go Craig!

Craig, a Clifton Hill United player, kicks another goal for the team. The final score, displayed on screen, is Clifton Hill United, 3; Banyule City, 0.

In the change room after the game Clifton Hill United players celebrate with refreshments and receive congratulations from their supporters. Outside there is a barbecue.
Clifton Hill United Supporter 2 This boy here, he’s alright as well, this boy, too much of an actor.
Player who scored first 2 goals Ha, ha, ha!
Player 2 Just lost for words. We done everything right, everything that we were supposed to do. We scored. We didn’t let them score against us. The only time that we’ve been able to do that. And, um, that’s pretty good, defence-wise. It means we’re getting somewhere.