When the Nhill Tigers under-14 boys team won the Wimmera District AFL grand final this month, it was the culmination of an intensive season of training and drills.

It was also the culmination of an extraordinary 15-year settlement experiment which has seen Karen refugees from Myanmar make the town their home.

Nine of the boys in the Nhill team that beat Ararat 38 – 31 in the grand final were from the Karen community and without them, it is unlikely the club could have fielded a team.

John and Marg Millington, who were involved in the initial settlement of the Karen, said the grand final result was emblematic of the successful settlement of the Karen.

“I think it’s a success story all round. It shows how the Karen have been embraced completely by the whole town and that they are very accepted,” Marg said.

“They have given us so many gifts, not only the adults working in our businesses but the children as well who are helping with the survival of different sporting codes,” she said.

“And the Karen are happy. They have found a peaceful and safe place to live and a place where their kids can thrive,” Marg said.

John said the number of Karen in Nhill had grown from three or four initially to 300.

“They are now working in more than 35 businesses across the Wimmera. They have been a wonderful attribute for our town and community,” he said.

Club volunteer Tracy Bell says that she began encouraging the Karen to play sport in Nhill so her own children would not have to travel to play sport in other towns.

“We encouraged the boys to join the club and we supported them to get to training and games,” Tracy said.

“All credit to the boys. They kept coming when the barriers they faced could have seen them stop.

“The Karen boys have made friends with local boys at school. They are all mates,” she said.

Tracey was recently recognised with a national award for her outstanding contribution to inclusion in community sport.

She was nominated by the Nhill Tigers for the Victorian AFL Diversity Ambassador of the Year Award. After being named the Victorian recipient, she progressed to the national awards, where her remarkable contribution was recognised with the national honour.

For more than a decade, Tracy has played an important role in building strong and lasting connections between the Nhill Tigers and Nhill’s Karen refugee community, who began arriving in the town in 2011.

“Through her warmth, persistence and willingness to lend a hand, Tracy has helped dozens of junior players and familie4s from culturally diverse backgrounds become part of a thriving local sporting club,” her award citation read.

Her support has extended beyond the football field. Tracy has helped families with registrations and has helped ensure young players can attend away games, whether by driving them herself or arranging transport with other families.

Players from culturally diverse backgrounds now make up almost half of Nhill junior teams.

Nhill College Co-Captain Charlotte Donnell recently told of the Karen boys’ commitment and contribution.

“In 2025, a number of Karen boys joined the under-14 footy side,” Charlotte said.

“At the start of the season, they had never played Aussie rules before, and many of them didn’t have a strong grasp of English. So, the coach kept things simple. He told them see the ball, get the ball and kick it far. And that’s what they did.

“As the season went on, they grew stronger and stronger. Beating teams that we hadn’t won a game against in 20 years.

“Against all expectations, they made it all the way to the grand final and this year, they won the grand final.

“Without those boys being welcomed into our town, we may not have even been able to field a team – let alone make a grand final. Their involvement didn’t just strengthen our side; it strengthened our club and our community,” Charlotte said.

The settlement of Karen refugees at Nhill has become a model not only for refugee settlement but also for the revival of struggling rural towns.

Local community leaders say the arrival of the Karen has breathed new life into the town, bringing economic benefits and enriching its cultural life.

An economic and social impact study found the settlement of the Karen had added $105 million to the local economy over a decade while also providing rich cultural and social benefits to the to town.

The Nhill Tigers senior team also broke 45-year drought by winning the A-grade grand final.