AFL Indigenous Round: round nine

THE AFL’s annual Indigenous Round highlights the relationship between Australian football and indigenous Australia.

It celebrates the contribution of indigenous players to the game, along with the role the game has played in building bridges between cultures.

At the heart of Indigenous Round is Dreamtime at the G – the annual match played between Essendon and Richmond at the MCG. Dreamtime at the G recognises the contribution that indigenous players have made to Australian football over the history of our game.

Importantly, it also celebrates current players and the excitement they provide to the spectacle of AFL football.

A major part of Dreamtime at the G has been to encourage the building of bridges between indigenous cultures and communities and the rest of Australia.

Football clearly provides a way to further encourage the building of these links and an increased understanding of the importance of indigenous culture to Australia’s past and present.

This week, members from indigenous communities from around Australia and the AFL will celebrate Indigenous Round. A number of functions and activities have been planned for the round. Some of these include;

A curtain-raiser match at the G on Saturday between Tiwi Bombers, from the Tiwi Islands 80 km north of Darwin in the Arafura Sea, and Rumbalara Football Club, from Shepparton in Victoria.

The match begins at 4.25pm and is to be televised at Melbourne’s Federation Square big screen for those gathering for The Long Walk. The match will also be shown live on the Imparja network in the Northern Territory, including the Tiwi Islands.

The Long Walk starts in Federation Square at 4pm and continues through Birrarung Marr, across William Barak Bridge and into the MCG to be a part of the pre-match entertainment for the Richmond v Essendon clash beginning at 7.40pm.

The Long Walk was established four years ago by former Essendon champion Michael Long. Long has been a major spokesperson on black and white issues affecting all Australians. He says The Long Walk is one way for indigenous and non-indigenous Australians to come together and bring about community awareness and a better future for all of us.

Acclaimed musicians Ron Murray and Russell Smith, singers Archie Roach, Iva Davies and Shane Howard will perform before the big match, as well as Auntie Joy Murphy-Wandin, who will perform Welcome to Country.

At half-time, indigenous children from Lake Tyers, Rumbalara, Echuca/Moama, and Fitzroy Stars Auskick centres will play on the MCG. West Australian champions Polly Farmer, Barry Cable, Bill Dempsey, Stephen Michael and Ted Kilmurry will be part of pre-match activities at Subiaco on Friday night; while indigenous children from Far North Queensland communities Mornington Island, Kowanyama, Aurukun, Badu Island, Lockhart River, Palm Island, Woorabinda and Cherbourg will play on the Gabba during half time of the Brisbane-Collingwood match.

INDIGENOUS Australians have played a major role in the evolution of football. Here are the major stats:

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THERE are 87,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people involved in Australian Football programs. This represents 12.4 per cent of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.

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THERE are 71 indigenous players listed with AFL clubs representing nearly 10 per cent of players, the most to be listed in a single season in VFL/AFL history.

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FREMANTLE currently has the highest number of indigenous players on an AFL list with eight.

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IN 2006, indigenous players won both the Brownlow Medal (Adam Goodes) and NAB AFL Rising Star (Danyle Pearce).

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Indigenous players have won:

• Three Brownlow Medals
• Six Norm Smith Medals
• Three AFL NAB Rising Star awards

Twenty-five players have been members of a premiership team

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IN 2004, the AFL Goal and Mark of the Year were won by indigenous players Daniel Wells and Ashley Sampi. The 2006 goal of the year was won by an indigenous player, Eddie Betts.

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IN 2006 Gavin Wanganeen became the first indigenous player to reach 300 career games.

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10 indigenous players have played more than 200 games.

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OVER the past 25 years, 137 indigenous players have made their AFL debut.

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A RECORD 15 indigenous players were drafted at the 2006 NAB AFL Draft.

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TWELVE players from the Clontarf Academies (in WA and NT) have been drafted to AFL clubs.

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BETWEEN 2002 and 2006 indigenous children participating in AFL Kickstart clinics grew 300 per cent from 2000 to 6000.

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MORE than 500 indigenous coaches were accredited in 2006.