Box Hill Hawks Celebrate Lunar New Year
Box Hill Hawks Football Club Lunar New Year Celebration Dinner — Year of the Horse
Welcoming the Lunar New Year with the auspicious Lion Dance and celebrating the spirit of the Horse, the Box Hill Hawks Football Club hosted a grand Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration Dinner on 19 February at The Grand on Princes. The venue was adorned with festive lanterns and a vibrant atmosphere as more than 200 distinguished guests from Australian and Chinese political, business, sporting, education, community, cultural and media sectors gathered to celebrate the New Year and strengthen friendship, creating an occasion that was both joyful and
Distinguished guests included His Excellency Mr Xinwen Fang, Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Melbourne, and Madam Hui Zeng; AFL Head Office leaders Walter Lee (EGM Strategy, Data & Analytics & Investments) and Belle Lim (Head of Cultural Diversity, Engagement & Growth); Hawthorn Football Club CEO Ash Klein and Chief Commercial Officer Jo Gilbert; Federal MP for Menzies Gabriel Ng; Australia China Business Council (ACBC) National CEO Tom Parker; Anne-Marie Hermans MP representing Opposition Leader Jess Wilson MP; Victorian MPs Paul Hamer and Richard Welch; VMC Chairperson Vivienne Nguyen AM; Whitehorse Council Mayor Kirsten Langford, Deputy Mayor Kieran Simpson, former Mayor Andrew Davenport and Councillor Peter Allan; Monash City Councillor Nicky Luo; Box Hill Liberal candidate Sally Capp; Chairman Arthur Wu of the Chinese Masonic Society Melbourne; former President of the Victorian Legislative Council the Hon. Bruce Atkinson; Prime Minister’s interpreter and community leader Professor Charles Qin OAM and CEO Kate Ritchie; President of Communities’ Council on Ethnic Issues (CCOEI) & Languages Other Than English （ LOTE) Bwe Thay; Ethnic Communities’ Council of Victoria (ECCV) Chairperson Silvia Renda and CEO Farah Farouque; Head of ThinkHQ and CultureVerse Jessica Billimoria; Chinese community leaders including OAM recipient Simon Qian, philanthropist and club community sponsor Dr Bruce Wong, and club Premier Sponsor Managing Director Jacky Zhang of Stonemart, among others.
Also attending were Hawthorn Board Directors Anne-Marie and Ian Silk, Box Hill Hawks President Carli Barnes，Director Jacob Attwood & Diana Lin, General Manager Pat Clancey, Annelie Smith, the coaching team, and numerous leaders from business and multicultural communities, representing Chinese, Indian, Jewish, African, Indonesian, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Italian, Ugandan and Eritrean communities.
The evening opened with powerful drumbeats and an impressive Lion Dance performance, symbolising prosperity and good fortune for the Year of the Horse. As a proud VFL club with a strong competitive legacy, the Box Hill Hawks are equally recognised for their long-standing commitment to community engagement and multicultural inclusion.
First Nations leader Uncle Shane Charles delivered the Welcome to Country, acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land and their enduring cultural connection, setting a respectful and inclusive tone for the evening.
Continuing the club’s tradition of promoting cross-cultural exchange, President Carli noted in her address that the Horse symbolises strength, determination, forward momentum and action-oriented energy — qualities that reflect the Hawks’ never-give-up spirit on the field. She thanked Director Diana Lin for her cultural leadership and acknowledged partners whose support has enabled the club to become a platform connecting diverse communities. President Carli highlighted the club’s flagship multicultural programs, while General Manager Annelie Smith provided an update on the team’s performance structure and outlined key strategic priorities for 2026.
Consul General Xinwen Fang extended Chinese New Year greetings and praised the club’s role in promoting people-to-people exchange and multicultural ties between Australia and China. He recognised President Carli and Director Diana Lin for strengthening Chinese community engagement and emphasised that sport is a powerful bridge across cultures. He noted Lunar New Year’s UNESCO recognition as a shared cultural heritage in Australia and marked 2026 as the 40th anniversary of China’s Consulate-General in Melbourne. He also highlighted the Box Hill Hawks’ 90-year history, Hawthorn’s 124-year legacy and their 26-year alignment, adding that the Horse symbolises strength, loyalty and success.
Hawthorn CEO Ash Klein praised Diana Lin’s leadership and highlighted Hawthorn’s growing fan base, including strong support from Chinese Australians. He outlined strategies to deepen engagement with multicultural communities and invited guests to upcoming matches as part of an inclusive football family.
Speakers including Tom Parker, Gabriel Ng MP, Vivienne Nguyen AM, Anne-Marie Hermans MP, Paul Hamer MP, Richard Welch MP, Mayor Kirsten Langford and Arthur Wu emphasised the importance of community cohesion, multicultural partnership and the role of sport in fostering belonging across generations and backgrounds:
Tom Parker: Strong communities are the foundation of social cohesion, and Chinese Australians’ long contribution—especially through sport—strengthens belonging and national confidence.
Gabriel Ng MP: The Hawks’ resilient, inclusive culture deserves celebration, and the $13.6 million Federal investment will deliver major infrastructure and wide community benefits.
Vivienne Nguyen AM: Lunar New Year reminds us to practise kindness, compassion and generosity, and events like this build partnerships that keep Victoria welcoming for all.
Anne-Marie Hermans MP: Representing the South Eastern Metropolitan Region, she praised Jess Wilson’s leadership, congratulated the organisers—especially Diana—and celebrated the strength of women and multicultural communities in Victoria.
Paul Hanmer MP:He shared his long-time support for Hawthorn and praised its partnership with Box Hill for welcoming multicultural communities, saying the celebration helps first-generation Australians feel part of Australia’s sporting culture.
Richard Welch MP: He praised the Box Hill Hawks as a model for engaging the Chinese community through sport and building a lasting multicultural legacy, encouraging more programs linking families and students with AFL/VFL games.
Mayor Kirsten Langford (Whitehorse City Council): The club’s impact goes beyond sport into social, cultural and economic life, and the City Oval redevelopment is a major investment that brings the community together through collaborative leadership.
Arthur Wu: Celebrating a membership anniversary alongside Lunar New Year, he praised Australia’s multicultural success and the shared efforts—through AFL community programs—to connect cultures through sport.
Box Hill Hawks Director Diana Lin thanked distinguished VIP guests, sponsors, partners and Chinese and multicultural community representatives for supporting the club’s fourth Lunar New Year celebration. She emphasised that the Hawks are more than a football club — they are a platform connecting multicultural communities through sport, tradition, leadership, collaboration and shared growth. Through initiatives such as the Lunar New Year celebration, campus clinics, Multicultural Game Day and the club’s commitment to female leadership, the Hawks continue to build stronger connections beyond the field.
The evening also featured outstanding cultural performances, including traditional Chinese music and a modern electronic violin presentation blending heritage with contemporary artistry, receiving enthusiastic applause from the audience.
The celebration concluded in a warm and joyful atmosphere, once again demonstrating that sport is not only competition but a powerful bridge connecting people, cultures and communities. The Box Hill Hawks expressed sincere New Year wishes to all supporters and looked forward to working together in the year ahead to achieve even greater success.
Master of Ceremonies: Diana Zhao
Photographer: John Zeng
Videographer: King Wu
Special Sponsor Acknowledgement
The Club expresses sincere gratitude to sponsors and partners whose generous contributions made the celebration possible:
Consul General Xinwen Fang & Madam Hui Zeng — mascot raffle and traditional Chinese tea sets
Jacky Zhang — Managing Director, John Stonemart Memorials
Dr Bruce Wong & Sue Wong — Foot Solutions
Paul Hopper — CEO, Tobin Brothers / 3WBC & Club Mustangs Team
James Breheny — Director, Breheny Brothers
Robinson Gill Lawyers
Lily Wang & Wei Hou — Directors, Pettavel Winery
Chamgyun Lv & Lihua Zhang — Directors,Merinokomf Wool Quilts
Joreal Qian — Director, Ask Joreal Consulting Services
Sunny Sun — Executive President, Oceania Business Council
Jimmy Li — President, Chinese Community Council of Australia (Victoria)
Charles Zhang — President, Chinese Australian Cultural Society Ballarat
Marc Xu & Raymond Gu — President of Australia Chinese writers Association
Jin Xu & Diana Lin- DJ Lending Unity Partners
Maurice Zhang- President, Fudan Alumni Association
Katy Wang — Director, Goodride Tyres
Maggie Zhang — Director, Revefore
Xiaoli Xu & Serena Xie — President, New Eastern Arts Association
John Zeng — President, Chinese Photography Association
Wendy Yang — President, Box Hill Silkroad Lions Club
Ruge Li — President, Australian Yunnan Society
Diane Feng — Manager, GCAA Health
Philip Chui — Chairman & Principal, Chinese Fellowship Chinese School
Haiying Li — Journalist , Australian Chinese Daily
D&M Honchoi – Director, Diana
King Wu — Videographer
Performance & Program Contributors
CCCV Troupe — Minh Le & Team
Electric Violin — Beijing Chen
Vocal Performance — Ruge Li
Eastern Arts — Xiaoli Xu, Serena Xie & Team
Looking Ahead
The Box Hill Hawks Football Club Lunar New Year Celebrations Dinner showcased the power of sport in uniting communities. As the Box Hill Hawks continue to grow, we remain committed to fostering multicultural inclusion, strengthening partnerships, and building meaningful connections.
A heartfelt thank you to all guests, sponsors, and the Hawks family for making this celebration a success—the club looks forward to an exciting year ahead!
