THIRTY new Australians will be naturalised at Etihad Stadium ahead of the Blues’ Round 18 clash with the Hawks, as Carlton hosts its inaugural Common Ground game.

Falling under the Club’s key pillar to create and drive cultural inclusion, as well as address the issue of social isolation, Carlton will hold a citizenship ceremony on game-day, as part of its ‘Common Ground’ game celebrations.

Taking place in the Crest Room at Etihad Stadium, the final part of the ceremony will conclude on the field in the lead-up to the first bounce, with former Carlton player Mil Hanna to guide the final affirmations.

Hanna, a ’95 premiership player, was the first Lebanese-born footballer in the VFL/AFL and recorded 190 games for Carlton between 1986-1997.

More than fifteen countries will be represented in the citizenship ceremony on Sunday, with conferees hailing from Russia, Egypt, Britain, Greece, Mexico, Somalia, Canada, Mozambique, Ireland, Philippines, Germany, Bangladesh, South Africa, India, Eritrea, Venezuela, Iraq, Vietnam and Laos.

Since arriving in Australia in 1983, German-born Gudrun Pohlmann has followed Aussie Rules and fittingly barracks for Carlton.

“I’m so excited to become an Australian citizen at a Blues game,” she said.

“I loved the uniform, that’s what drew me to Carlton, it’s very smart and it never changes – I like that.

“Watching the ‘Flying Doormat’ (Bruce Doull) and all the other great players at Carlton helped me understand the game.”

Monil Shah, along with his wife and young son, also said his family couldn’t wait to become Australian citizens on Sunday.

“This will be such a unique experience and something I will never forget,” he said.

“I’ve lived in Australia for eight years now and I know football is such a big part of the Australian culture, so to become a citizen at an AFL game will be very special – this is a great initiative by the Blues.”

Following the formalities, all the conferees will form the Guard of Honour as the players run onto the ground and they’ll receive a 2019 Carlton membership and a Blues scarf.

In addition, thanks to the team behind new Australian comedy, ‘The Merger’, all the conferees will also receive a double pass to see the film when it’s released in August.