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Aboriginal Indigenous sport

10%
Proportion of Aboriginal players of the total AFL player base in 2008 [7].
2.3%
Proportion of Aboriginal people of the Australian population.

If anything else transcends race, intolerance or discrimmination, it is sport. —Steve Stacey, Executive Officer Nyoongar Sports Association Malaga, Western Australia [3]

Traditional Aboriginal games

Traditional Aboriginal games

Discover the broad variety of traditional Aboriginal sport which was almost lost after colonisation.
Discover Traditional Aboriginal games

Aboriginal Rugby League timeline

1908
Rugby LeaguetimelineAboriginal Rugby League timeline

You'll be surprised that Aboriginal people played a role in rugby league as early as 1908.
Explore the Aboriginal Rugby League timeline

Famous Aboriginal athletes

Explore a list of famous Aboriginal athletes—rugby league, motorsport, basketball, boxing, to name but a few.
Discover famous Aboriginal sports people

Aboriginal players in Rugby League and Australian Rules

Aboriginal people seem to have a natural talent to excel in Rugby League. In the National Rugby League 11% of the players were of Indigenous heritage. In 2008 Australia's national Rugby League team saw a record number of five Aboriginal players (38%) in their ranks of 13:

Aboriginal people themselves account for only about 2.3% of Australia's population (2008 figures), yet they account for more than five times that percentage of elite footballers [8].

Australian rules football has a special place in the culture of many Aboriginal communities. In some instances it has become as much as 'an obsession' and a tool to keep children in school and promote healthy lifestyle messages [1].

AFL is loved 'with a passion' from the Tiwi Islands in the north to the game's spiritual home in Melbourne in the south [8].

In many communities the 'footy' plays a crucial role in keeping people together, offering them an opportunity to meet and exchange news while they cheer the team on [8] — very similar to traditional times when large Aboriginal groups met if seasonal food was in plentiful supply. In this way every football game is an avenue to health and well-being for each individual.

When we play football there's that connection with the land that we are on and the way that we play. When you see two brothers or three brothers playing on the same team you can just see this natural ability shine through. —Adam Goodes, Aboriginal football player [1]

Indigenous players in Australian Football League 2008-2009

ClubAboriginal players [7,16,18]
Adelaide (SA)Jonathon Griffin, Andrew McLeod, Graham Johncock, Jarrhan Jacky, Tony Armstrong, Jared Petrenko, Ed Curnow
Brisbane Lions (QLD)Anthony Corrie, Rhan Hooper, Ashley McGrath, Albert Proud, Jason Roe, Sam Sheldon
Carlton (VIC)Joe Anderson, Clint Benjamin, Eddie Betts, Andrew Walker, Jeffrey Garlett, Chris Yarran
Collingwood (VIC)Anthony Corrie, Leon Davis, Brad Dick, Chris Egan, Shannon Cox, Sharrod Wellingham, John Bennell
Essendon (VIC)Alwyn 'Froggy' Davey, Courtenay Dempsey, Leroy Jetta, Andrew Lovett, Nathan Lovett-Murray, Paddy Ryder, Jarrod Atkinson, Dean Dick
Fremantle (WA)Jeff Farmer, Antoni Grover, Roger Hayden, Des Headland, Stephen Hill, Michael Johnson, Calib Mourish, Casey Sibosado, Clancee Pearce, Michael Walters
Geelong (VIC)Liam Bedford, Nathan Djerrkura, Stephen Motlop, Mathew Stokes, Adam Varcoe, Travis Varcoe
Hawthorn (VIC)Chance Bateman, Lance 'Buddy' Franklin, Mark Williams, Cyril 'Junior Boy' Rioli, Cameron Stokes, Carl Peterson
Kangaroos (North Melbourne; VIC)Matt Campbell, Eddie Sansbury, Daniel Wells, Lindsay Thomas, Cruize Garlett, Warren Benjamin, Cruzie Garlett
Port Adelaide (SA)Peter Burgoyne, Shaun Burgoyne, Nathan Krakouer, Daniel Motlop, Marlon Motlop, Danyle Pearce, Wade Thompson
Melbourne (VIC)Jamie Bennell, Aaron Davey, Neville Jetta, Liam Jurrah, Isaac Weetra, Matthew Whelan, Austin Wonaeamirri
Richmond (VIC)Jarrad Oeakley-Nichols, Richard Tambling, Shane Edwards, Clayton Collard, Alroy Gilligan
St Kilda (VIC)Raphael Clarke, Xavier Clarke, Ross Tangutulum
Sydney Swans (NSW)Adam Goodes, Michael O'Loughlin
West Coast (WA)David Wirrpanda, Liam Bedford, Adam Cockie
Western Bulldogs (VIC)Jarrod Harbrow, Malcolm Lynch, Brennan Stack, Joshua Hill, Liam Jones

First NRL Indigenous All Stars team

In November 2009 the National Rugby League (NRL) announced its first Indigenous All Star team which played the NRL All Stars in a pre-season game on February 13, 2010 (two years to the day since the Australian government's apology to the Stolen Generations).

Preston Campbell who was part of the team tells his feelings when he visited his home town [15]: "I realised that the support [shown by his people] was not just for me or even the team. There was a sense of pride that we were representing them and that the game had recognised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the special relationship we have with rugby league. And I also realised that we were representing those who had gone before us and that we were also fulfilling their dreams."

"We will take the spirit of our own mob on to the field and that will give us the personal strength to take on the might of the assembled NRL All Stars. We will also carry a special strength generated by the game commemorating the Stolen Generations on the second anniversary of the apology given by the Prime Minister [Kevin Rudd], who will be at the ground. This will have a special meaning for a number of the boys, including myself, whose family histories were affected by those times."

"All these emotions will come together in a collective sense of pride in our culture and our history. Many people say we will be making history. I would like to think we are honouring history."

The Indigenous All Stars won 16:12.

The Indigenous All Stars were [13]: Carl Webb (Cowboys), Cory Paterson (Knights), D Laurie (Panthers), George Rose (Sea Eagles), Greg Inglis (Storm), Jamal Idris (Bulldogs), Jamie Soward (Dragons), Jharal Yow Yeh (Broncos), Joel Thompson (Raiders), Jonathan Thurston (Cowboys), J Hodges (Broncos), Nathan Merritt (Rabbitohs), PJ Marsh (Broncos), Preston Campbell (Titans), Sam Thaiday (Broncos), Scott Prince (Titans), Tom Learoyd-Lahrs (Raiders), Travis Waddell (Raiders), Wendell Sailor (Dragons, his last match), Yileen Gordon (Bulldogs).

Indigenous Australian Football League (AFL) fact file

This is a small snapshot of Aboriginal AFL statistics in 2008 [4]:

Aboriginal Rugby League Knockout 2006 Young supporter of the Aboriginal Rugby League knockout. The event is family-friendly and alcohol-free.

Australian Indigenous cricket tour 1868, 1988 & 2009

In 1868 an all-Indigenous cricket squad formed. It played its first game at Manly Oval, a Prime Minister's XI, led by Bob Hawke [14]. The team then left for Britain. It took them over six weeks to make the trip by boat. Led by star all-rounder Johnny Mullagh, they won 14, lost 14 and drew 19 of their 47 games over six months.

It was the first sports team to represent Australia overseas, 14 years before the first Ashes tour.

In 1988 a 17-member Aboriginal Cricket Association team celebrated the 120th anniversary of the tour by travelling to England. Captained by John Maquire the team played 28 games, winning 16 of them. They met the Queen at Buckingham Palace and went backstage at an INXS concert.

In 2009 a squad of 14 Aboriginal players aged 16-26 left Brisbane, Queensland, on 20 June to retrace some of the famous 1868 tour. They played 11 matches within a month, some at the grounds where the tourists of 141 years ago visited.

This time the Indigenous cricket team won 8, lost 3 and drew 1 of their 12 games.

In the 132 years sinced the first Test match was played, Jason Gillespie is the only Indigenous player to have represented Australia at cricket [10].

It's only a matter of time before Indigenous people make their mark in first-class cricket, particularly with the popularity of Twenty/20.—Dan Christian, Indigenous cricketer [11]

Fact There are 13,000 registered Indigenous cricketers across Australia. That figure, however, pales against the thousands of Indigenous footballers in Australian rules or rugby league.

Dreaming of Lords - DVD

Dreaming of Lords is a documentary telling about the journey Aboriginal cricketers took in 1988 retracing the steps of their ancestors in 1868.

Aboriginal soccer

The inaugural Indigenous Football Festival was held in Townsville, Queensland, in July 2009. It is a first attempt to get Aboriginal Australians to embrace soccer. The festival targeted mainly young socceroos who played matches, attended coaching clinics and team-building activities.

In May 2009 the Borroloola Cyclones, a team of 15–18-year-old Aboriginal youth, became the first all-Indigenous soccer team to play an international match during the Arafura Games, held every two years in Darwin, Northern Territory [12]. Because Aussie rules is the dominant football code in the Territory, soccer is referred to as 'round-ball'. Borroloola is about 950 kms south-east of Darwin.

Aboriginal sporting events

Aboriginal people love their sport. Here's a list of popular Aboriginal sporting events:

Logo: Ella-7 Rugby union carnival

National Indigenous Games?

Plans are underway for annual national Indigenous Games, a move initiated by the Australian Indigenous Games Foundation (AIGF) which was founded in May 2008.

The main aim of the games will be to build self-esteem and confidence. AIGF President Bob McCullough says that "the Australian Indigenous Games will contribute significantly to the development of Indigenous communities, encouraging young people to strive for excellence and develop skills in life and sport. This will develop into pride in the community and pride in being Indigenous." [5]

Time and tide wait for no...player

Mother nature plays an important part in the Seaswift Island of Origin Rugby League series, with many players and supporters travelling to the host island in outboard-powered dingies.

Rough seas can prevent some from getting there, but time and tide waits for no-one either.

Some players and supporters had motored over for the carnival, but their return was delayed on the day after the carnival because of a low tide.

The men ended up pushing their boat towards the water not far from the oval. They managed to get the boat into the sea and headed off on the 40km homeward journey. [2]

Aboriginal sport resources

Movie: Aboriginal Rules

Movie: Aboriginal Rules not only introduces you to the game but offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at the grassroots Aboriginal football experience that you may have heard about, but never seen.

Movie: Australian Rules

Movie: Australian Rules tells the love story between an Aboriginal teenage girl and a non-Indigenous boy, set in a poor fishing village in South Australia.

National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy

The National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy (NASCA) helps Aboriginal children achieve their sporting and academic goals and possibly becoming a sports star in their field.

NASCA was founded in 1995 and is set up as a mentoring initiative. It offers sporting, academic and health programs for Indigenous children, including ARMTour (Athletes as Role Models Tour) where famous Aboriginal athletes visit remote communities to promote healthy lifestyles and give the children a hands-on sporting experience.

The academy does not run the sports programs but has partnerships with sporting institutions such as NRL, AFL, NSW Institute of Sports, Cricket NSW, Cricket NT, National Women's Basketball League and Softball Australia [6].

National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy (NASCA)
Suite 1009a, Level 10
MLC Centre, 19 Martin Place
Sydney NSW 2000
Ph: 02 9221 8655
Fax: 02 9221 8322

www.nasca.com.au

Out of respect for Aboriginal culture I use Indigenous sources as much as possible.
[1] 'A racist? What rot!', Koori Mail 426, p.85 [2] 'Tide waits for no-one', Koori Mail 453 p.93 [3] 'A sporting goal', Koori Mail 444 p.28 [4] 'Huge celebration of Indigenous football', Koori Mail 427 p.101 [5] 'Games plan forges ahead', Koori Mail 441 p.78 [6] 'NASCA ready for a big year', Koori Mail 454 p.35 [7] 'AFL's 150th year a worthy celebration', Koori Mail 438 p.80 [8] 'Fitzroy Stars are still shining', NIT 7/8/2008 p.28 [9] 'Footy fever hits TI', Koori Mail 439 p.34 [10] 'Raising the profile', Koori Mail 454 p.81 [11] 'Yarning with Dan Christian', Koori Mail 454 p.80 [12] 'Borroloola Cyclones will play ther part in history', Koori Mail 450 p.80 [13] 'Indigenous honour', MX newspaper, 20/11/2009 [14] 'Documentary now on DVD', Koori Mail 467 p.75 [15] 'Learning to be legends', Koori Mail 469 p.80

Creative Spirits acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of the land in which we live and work.

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