Bachar Houli’s hot form across the past few weeks has fittingly intertwined with the initial signings to Richmond’s inaugural AFL Women’s team.

Both are trademarks of the AFL’s now brilliantly diverse game, an area the code is world leaders in according to Richmond senior coach, Damien Hardwick.

Speaking at the AFL’s recent Iftar Dinner celebrating Muslim culture across the competition, Hardwick reflected on how far the game had come.

“When I first started playing 25 years ago, if you had asked me if there was going to be Muslims dominating AFL football or a women’s league, I would be thinking there’s no way,” he told guests at the dinner.

“One of the great things about sport in particular AFL is the diverse personnel and groups that we have within our industry and how it is all encompassing about what and who we are.”

The Tigers have one of the most diverse playing lists in the AFL, something that reaches across the Club’s workforce as well.

“We’ve got (Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator) Rana (Hussain) and Ali Fahour who has just joined us, I think the greatest thing that it can do is that it can bring people together,” Hardwick said.

“The learnings I’ve got from having people such as Bachar and Rana in our organisation is incredible and that’s one of the benefits of sport and how good it can be, and I am very privileged to be a part of it.”