Geelong defender Jake Kolodjashnij has been selected as an Australia Post AFL Multicultural Ambassador for 2017.

One of 19 ambassadors from across the AFL and AFLW, Kolodjashnij will support the AFL’s multicultural programs through appearances at events and play a pivotal role through Multicultural Round in July.

Born in Tasmania, Kolodjashnij is of Ukrainian descent and joins the likes of North Melbourne’s Majak Daw (Sudan), Nic Naitanui (Fiji) and Bachar Houli (Lebanon) as an ambassador.

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan said the ambassadors play an important role in promoting diversity and inclusion within Australian Football and the broader community.

“The Ambassadors represent 12 AFL Clubs, four AFLW Clubs, and a wide range of diverse communities throughout Australia,” McLachlan said.

“They will play a crucial role in increasing cultural awareness, promoting inclusion and encouraging participation at all levels of Australian Football.

“We have increased the number of female ambassadors from two to four in 2017, which reflects the growing prominence of NAB AFL Women’s and the commitment we have made to build the foundations of women’s football.

“It’s a historic year in our game. In addition to the launch of AFLW, we are also taking a Toyota AFL Premiership Season match to China in Round 8. The landscape of football is changing and the ambassadors reflect that,” he said.

In 2017, multicultural players make up 15 per cent of the AFL player lists across the 18 AFL Clubs and 7.8 per cent across the eight AFL Women’s clubs.