Awer Mabil, an Australian Socceroos star, has spoken out about his viral response to One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's plan for a monoculture in Australia. When asked about Hanson's proposal earlier this year, Mabil called it "bulls***" and explained that he believes celebrating multiculturalism is what makes Australia great. The 30-year-old football player, who was born in Kenya but arrived in Australia as a refugee at age 10, says his experience playing soccer has been an escape from hardship throughout his life. Since signing a three-year deal with Melbourne City earlier this year, Mabil has been looking forward to putting down roots in Australia and playing in front of his family and friends.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
In short:
Socceroos star Awer Mabil says he was being himself when he called Pauline Hanson's plan for a monoculture in Australia "bulls***".
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he → say → *
He says it's important to celebrate multiculturalism because that's what makes Australia great.
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Australia → say → multiculturalism
Mabil is looking forward to putting down roots in Australia after spending more than a decade playing in Europe.
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Mabil → look → Europe
Awer Mabil will never forget his first football, because he made it himself.
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he → forget → it
"We used to collect plastic bags and then tie them up into a ball shape," he tells triple j hack.
"
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he → use → hack
Mabil is remembering his childhood in the Kakuma Refugee Camp where he was born in north-western Kenya.
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he → remember → Kenya
"Football was 100 per cent an escape for us," he says.
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"If you're hungry, you don't feel hungry because you're just playing for the moment with your friends.
"Then when I came to Australia, I was like, 'oh … I don't have to make the balls from the scratch.'
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I → feel → scratch
"
Mabil and his family arrived in Australia as refugees when he was 10-years-old.
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he → arrive → refugees
Since then he's established himself as one of Australia's most well-known football players, representing the nation at two World Cups, and being recognised as the Young Australian of the Year in 2023.
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he → establish → 2023
Now 30, Mabil is back in Australia after a decade playing in Europe, achieving his dreams.
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Mabil → play → dreams
Earlier this year, the Socceroos star signed a three-year deal with Melbourne City and says he's looking forward to putting some roots down here.
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he → sign → roots
"I can finally buy furniture that I can keep," he laughs.
"
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he → buy → that
I also want to play in front of my family and friends ...
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I → want → family
I didn't take advantage of it when I was here before and now I get that chance again.
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I → take → chance
Returning to Adelaide from the Socceroos World Cup campaign in July, Mabil made headlines when he was asked about One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's calls for a "monoculture" in Australia.
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he → return → Australia
"It's just all bulls***," Mabil told waiting reporters.
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Mabil → tell → reporters
Now with a few months distance, the football player says he's still surprised by how much traction his response got.
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response → say → traction
"To be honest, it just came to my head," he tells hack.
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he → come → hack
I feel passionate about including everybody because that's what makes Australia great.
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Australia → feel → everybody
"So if there are people that try to divide what Australia is then that's not good."
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that → be → ?
Mabil says it's important to not only tolerate other cultures in Australia, but celebrate them.
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it → say → them
My little brothers were born here and they're more Aussie than anybody else.
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they → bear → anybody
But everybody's got different flavours."
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everybody → get → flavours
Mabil says many have thrown their support behind his defence of multiculturalism in recent months, but concedes there has been hate as well.
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many → say → months
I don't let that energy get to me."
"I've learned that being genuine, being pure to yourself and honest is best.
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being → let → yourself
Returning to Kakuma
One of Awer Mabil's biggest focuses in life, away from sport, is charity.
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charity → return → sport
After a trip back to the camp where he was born, he and his brother started the charity Barefoot to Boots which supports refugees living in camps around the world by supplying them with football boots and equipment.
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which → bear → boots
"It's very humbling," he says.
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he → say → ?
"Every time I go back it brings me back to appreciating the life that I have, that we have here in Australia, because people are struggling with the basic stuff there."
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people → go → stuff
Barefoot to Boots has expanded its scope in recent years, funding sanitary products for girls, hospital equipment, teaching supplies and building public bathrooms.
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Barefoot → expand → bathrooms
We went into the hospitals and realised the premature born kids didn't have a chance.
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kids → go → chance
So we donated three incubators and to be honest that's the best thing we've ever done because that's saving lives.
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that → donate → lives
'Learn to love yourself'
Mabil says a bit of time has helped him better appreciate the Socceroos' effort at this year's World Cup, after the Australian team was beaten in a Round of 32 clash against Egypt.
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team → learn → Egypt
It was just the third time the Socceroos had reached the knockout stage of the tournament.
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Socceroos → reach → tournament
"We were so close to making history," he says.
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he → make → history
The future is looking great and I'm very optimistic about Australian football."
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Asked what his future holds after football, Mabil smiles.
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Mabil → ask → football
I enjoy media a lot and could go down that path.
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I → enjoy → path
"But whatever I choose next … I'll put the same discipline into it that I did towards my football career."
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I → choose → career
…and 2 more, not listed.