Essendon’s Community Game celebrations have officially kicked off with a special ‘Mukbang’ at the NEC Hangar, bringing together just a small sample of the cultures that make up the Bombers for the AFL’s Cultural Heritage Series.

Hosted by TypeMEDIA’s Uchitha ‘Cheets’ Wijesekara (Sri Lanka), a handful of Dons sat down for a wide-ranging chat covering their backgrounds.

Originating from South Korean content creators, a ‘Mukbang’ is an online broadcast where host and guests alike consume food amidst their interview, interacting with each other and the audience.

Saad El-Hawli and Huss El Achkar (Lebanon) discussed the impact of Lebanese-Australian players in the 2000s and the Bachar Houli Foundation’s legacy.

Having gone through the ranks alongside El Achkar in Essendon’s NGA, Isaac Kako (Iraq) and Jayden Nguyen (Vietnam) were big on the feeling of brotherhood surrounding the AFL program.

Albeit with different upbringings, the duo feel strongly connected by their experiences. Nguyen is the AFL’s first player of Vietnamese heritage, whilst Kako holds the same honour among those of Iraqi descent.

Cillian Bourke’s story still stands alone amongst the group, the Irishman going from County Offaly rising star in the GAA to an AFL-listed player in just a matter of months.

Making the trip like several Irish stars before him, Bourke’s segments focused largely on the sudden shifts life can take in being internationally scouted by an AFL club.

As ‘Cheets’ and the players tucked into the food palettes from their ethnic origins, the stories combined to paint a picture of the diversity present in the AFL landscape in 2026.

Wrapping up the broadcast, the boys all had a chance to unite and don their country flags proudly in a Club-run photoshoot.

The Mukbang is one of several initiatives and stories the Club will be running ahead of its Community Game in round 23, paying homage to the incredible range of ethnicities and cultures that shape Essendon.