Meet the self-proclaimed ‘first Mexican’ to teach Aussies how to play AFL

From Mexico to the MCG, then the bush, Edgar Guerrero is trying to use his unique journey to entice other migrants to move to country Victoria. 

The Mexico City native came to Australia in 2012 with his wife Liz, settling in into a comparatively subdued city life in Melbourne while working various jobs and studying at university. 

A successful scholarship application saw him embedded with the Richmond Tigers during their successful AFL Premiership tilt in 2019, something Mr Guerrero said was a transformative experience. 

Now, like many of the Richmond faithful, Edgar Guerrero bleeds yellow and black.

The Tigers’ dominant Grand Final win cemented Mr Guerrero’s love for Australia’s national game, putting him on a new path. 

“It was an unreal experience, everyone was just so happy and hugging you even if they didn’t know your name because you’re part of the team,” he said.

Mr Guerrero works for the AFL in the team’s western district offices in Warrnambool, three hours south-west of Melbourne. 

“I’m going to schools to promote the game [AFL], teach basic skills to kids, which is something really different” he said. 

‘Like starting again’

It was while he was handballing and drop-punting his way across the south-west that Mr Guerrero and his wife discovered a love for regional Victoria and the possibilities of life in the country. 

They moved to Warrnambool in October last year, after fate brought the pair to the seaside. 

Ms Rodriguez had secured employment as a social worker in the seaside city, and the pair were excited yet nervous for the change.

“For many of us it’s daunting because it’s like starting again,” Ms Rodriguez said.

Ms Rodriguez said the couple felt like pioneers arriving in Warrnambool, however have quickly been welcomed as part of the town’s community. 

The pair is among a growing number of migrants that, like Melburnians, are moving away from the city to live in regional Victoria. 

A pilot project that helped nine migrant families move from Melbourne to Hamilton, around an hour north of Warrnambool, is set to be replicated in the Moyne Shire later this year.

The program’s manager, Carly Jordon, said parents in regional areas were crying out for more diverse families to be welcomed to country towns. 

“A lot of migrants or refugees, in particular, when they arrive into Australia, they’re placed in the cities.

“And what we’ve found is that they didn’t realise that they’re able to move, or didn’t have the opportunity to make that move.”

Ease on down the road

Liz and Edgar are doing their bit to make the move a little easier, starting a social media page based on the popular “Humans of New York” blog. 

The pair believe there is not enough information available to other migrants that would make it easier for them to follow their path to the country. 

“I’m sharing part of of my journey to show other migrants it’s achievable to come to regional Victoria and start your life,” Ms Rodriguez said.

And for Mr Guerrero, like his Tigers, he is willing to fight until the final siren has gone. 

“We want to share stories like ours with the community,” he said. 

“We just want to show people in the cities how it is living in regional areas, and that it can be done.”