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APY Lands Fostership Program

The proposed three-year engagement strategy with assistance from indigenous players Graham Johncock and Andrew McLeod will build the capacity of the APY community by encouraging Indigenous people to reach their full potential. In keeping with our desire to be “the team for All South Australians” the club will partner with the APY lands communities in conjunction with the local schools and agencies to engage young people in school and sporting activities.

The “Adelaide Football Club APY Lands Fostership Program” provides a relevant and critical community presence where it is required most. This presence will enable the club to build a strong bond with the local Indigenous people.

The club is determined to “make a difference” through this program and use the profile of the club to provide some vital training ,football education and life skills to young indigenous people in the APY Lands through this fostership program.

Stay tuned for more information on this program over the next three years.

APY Lands Grand Final

Both the Softball and Football Grand Finals were played on the Pukatja Community oval during the afternoon of Saturday 12th September.

In the Softball final Mimili defeated Amata three runs to two. Mimili catcher Julieanne was voted as the best player and Crows player Aaron Kite presented the medallions to the members of the winning team Mimili.

In the Football Grand Final Amata defeated Mimili by 15 points with the final score 10.5 (65) to 7.8 (50). Amata player Jacob Tiger was judged best on ground with "his kicking and marking skills, running and competitive performance outstanding." SANFL Development Manager Duane Von Senden presented the medallions to the members of the winning team Amata.

 

September 2009 visit

APY Lands Report – Western Group

Bright and early Monday morning, AFC players Andrew McLeod, Jonathon Griffin and Jarrhan Jacky and AFC Junior Development Staff Joel Kay and Nigel Osborn departed Adelaide for the APY Lands, courtesy of Dick Lang and Dick Lang Bush Pilots. Dick and his cosy 8 seater tackled the 140kph head winds literally “head on” and got us to Coober Peedy a little behind schedule but more importantly in one piece. From there we refuelled and ventured out to the APY Lands and stopped off at Ernabella. Andrew and Joel hopped off the plane here and met Alec Henry from the SANFL, who took them off to the Eastern region of the APY Lands.

For the Western Group it was back up in the air and on to Murputja. We met up with Duane Von Senden also from the SANFL, dumped our bags and made the 100km journey west to Pipalyatjara Anangu School. The kids here were all very excited to see us and they all participated in the clinic that Duane, Jarrhan and Jonathon put on for them. Towards the end of the session Claude the Crow popped out to say hello and everyone flocked to him to shake his hand and get a hug. Claude hung around with the kids for a bit and had a kick of the footy with him, showcasing his horrible footy skills and posing for a few photos with the classes as well. Jonathon and Jarrhan worked well with the kids and enjoyed themselves a lot during their first taste of the APY Lands.

After we finished up at the Pipalyatjara, Duane had a bit of a treat in store for us. We hopped in the car and were taken out to the tri-state border of South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. We all felt very privileged to be there as only a handful of people have ever come across it. This was a very special and fitting end to a long, tough Day 1. A special thankyou must be given to Duane, his partner Kelly and their little girl Lahni for letting us stay the night and putting on a great spread of spaghetti bolognaise!

Day 2 started in a similar fashion to day 1, early and windy! We drove off to Murputja to visit Murputja Anangu School and run another clinic for the kids. Once again everyone was very excited to see the Crows players roll up and the school was very welcoming, presenting us with a few special gifts they had carved out of wood and morning tea as well. The clinic ran very well with only 25 kids, but they all joined in and were very enthusiastic. Once again Claude made an appearance late in the clinic. He posed for some more photos and got shown up again having a kick of the footy with the kids. After the clinic we stayed around for a bit and interacted with everyone at the school. They showed us a video of their recreation of a Michael Jackson clip “Smooth Criminal”. Jonathon, Jarrhan and Claude also helped present the school’s ‘Student of the Week’ award to finish off our day at Murputja.

Amata was our next stop, which was a fair hike away so we piled back into the plane and took off for Amata. We were greeted there by Deputy Principal Richard, who escorted us to his school. Amata Anangu School was definitely the largest of the three schools we had visited with well over 60 kids in attendance, most of which were already out on the oval kicking a footy around when we rolled up. It was great to see everyone in good spirits after what had been a couple of weeks of mixed emotions for the Amata community. None the less, Jarrhan, Jonathon and Duane set up the clinic and the kids got stuck into no worries at all. The clinic ran really well for the amount of kids packed onto the oval, each of them smiling and really enjoying themselves. Battling the howling winds, some of the older kids challenged the big Griff to a long bomb comp (who was beaten hands down), while Duane, Jarrhan and myself put on a game of poison ball for the rest of them. Once again the boys stayed around for photos and signed countless autographs on just about anything and everything the kids could muster up.

We finished up at Amata Anangu School and were then taken down to the local shop for a much needed feed and had a chat with some of the locals. It was here the idea of a visit to Cave Hill was brought up. The boys liked the sound of it and were very keen to have a look. Cave Hill was about a 30 minute journey from Amata and is home to the largest cave paintings in the APY Lands. A four strong fleet of cars led by the Amata football team coach Rueben, made the bumpy trek out to Cave Hill, which did not disappoint. The paintings were incredible and the scenery was just as stunning. Unfortunately, to respect the wishes of the locals who own the land, we are unable to publish any photos of the paintings as they are sacred, but all the more reason to get out there and check it out first hand! Jarrhan and Jonathon were thrilled to see these amazing works of art and learn more about some of their heritage and history. After getting a good look at the rock paintings we made our way up to the top of Cave Hill to take in some of the breathtaking views and surroundings. From the top of Cave Hill, Rueben pointed out all of the local landmarks, which included Mt Woodroffe (the highest point in SA), Mt Connor, Ayers Rock and the Olgas, all in reasonably close proximity. Day 2 came to quite a special end and we all retired back to Jacko’s for another fantastic meal and some much needed sleep. Another big thankyou to Jacko for providing his house and hospitality to us.

We awoke day 3 nice and early, yet again, but minus the winds, which was to everyone’s delight! Jacko took us to the airstrip, where we departed and set off to Marla to pick up Andrew and Joel. The massive lack of wind was a huge bonus as it made for a pretty much perfect flight in to Marla. We picked up the boys, said our goodbyes and left Dick to do his thing and get us back unscathed. On the whole I think everyone thought the trip was well worth it and was enjoyed by all. We experienced some pretty rare and special opportunities, which I’m sure will be cherished for a very long time. If all things work out I can confidently say we will be looking forward to returning in 2010!

By Nigel Osborn


APY Lands Report – Eastern Group

After being dropped off by Dick Lang and the western group we met up with Alec Henry (APY Lands /Indigenous officer for the SANFL). We then drove to Ernabella School where we were treated with a welcoming response. The kids had all made welcoming posters and were wearing streamers all for their favourite player McLeod. After a short talk with the school Andrew was then challenged by the principal to a kick-off with the most skilful kids in the school. The challenge was to kick the ball into the basketball ring from the other end of the court. With the howling wind and dust it made for a tight contest but the skills of these kids were amazing. After 20 minutes of trying we had 3 goals which one was from Andrew.

After Ernabella we drove an hour through trying conditions to Fregon. McLeod then put 40 kids through their paces and conducted kicking and handballing drills which all the kids loved. Plenty of photos and autographs were had with all the teachers and kids. We then took a short drive to Umuwa where we stayed the night.

Following a great night sleep at Umuwa we drove down to Mimili through masses of dust storms. The kid’s enthusiasm was through the roof and everyone couldn’t wait to see McLeod. Andrew spoke to the kids for 20 mins about his journey to AFL football and the sacrifices he has had to make. We then tried to run a clinic on their basketball court but the wind and dust made it near impossible. Andrew then had his ears tested by Uni researchers who were in the APY Lands testing all the kids hearing (Approx 30% of kids in the APY Lands have some sort of hearing deficiencies).

Our final community we went to was Indulkana were Andrew had an interview with the local radio station and was treated with a few songs from the local gospel band. We then visited an Arts and Crafts store where local paintings and carvings were on sale for the general public. The kids at Indulkana were out in force challenging Andrew with a scratch match on their small sandy oval. It was great to watch kids from as young as 4 playing and by the end of it McLeod had been worn out. We then had a presentation with McLeod handing out footballs to the kids who thought put in their best efforts.

After another long day we drove an hour to Marla where we stayed the night for dinner. Early the next morning we met the western group at the airstrip and made our long flight back to Adelaide. Thankfully the winds were kind to us on the way home which made for a comfy trip home. Overall the trip was a great success for the Adelaide Football Club and the 7 communities we visited throughout the APY Lands and we look forward to another successful visit next year.

By Joel Kay

 


Positive feedback from recent APY Lands school visits:

All here felt it was highly successful and very well run.
I’m sorry I did not get down to the oval but it was a hectic day filled with community meetings to resolve issues, including pool employment so that it can actually operate.
Thanks again for the visit and all the work you do.
Kathy Smerdon
Principal
Pipalyatjara Anangu School


Our visit was terrific
Kids enjoyed the whole experience and participated really well in the activities after a short intro.
Kids enjoyed hearing from Andrew McLeod
We were lucky with the weather
Well done to you and your crew of helpers
Cheers,
Geoff Higgins
Principal, Indulkana Anangu School


After they left the whole football team got together and practised for hours because of the enthusiasm generated!
Best wishes,
Ralph Earle
Principal
Fregon Anangu School



The Rio Tinto Indigenous Lands Cup

The Australian Football League 2009 Season program designates Round Nine as Indigenous Round and the Adelaide Football Club are scheduled to play Carlton Football Club on Saturday May 23rd at AAMI Stadium at 2.40pm.

The 2009 Rio Tinto Indigenous Lands Challenge Cup which was introduced in 2005 will be played as a curtain-raiser to this game.

The teams involved are A.P.Y. Thunder and The Maralinga Eagles. These two teams are made up of players from remote Aboriginal Communities in South Australia’s Far North West (A.P.Y. Lands) and Western Regions of Maralinga Tjarutja represented by young Anangu men from Oak Valley, Yalata, Tjuntjunjara and Coonana Communities.

The playing of this game is a very important component of the South Australian National Football League’s “Whole of State” approach to the promotion of Aboriginal football in South Australia. Sport is one of the most practical ways of building self esteem and confidence in people, and it is a well known fact that participation in team sports promotes teamwork, leadership, confidence, healthy lifestyles and solid ground for building relationships.

Football on the Maralinga Tjarutja and Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands is probably the next most important thing apart from the practice of Traditional Culture to people living in these areas, and all follow the game fanatically throughout the regions.

The young Anangu men who make the long trip down to AAMI Stadium will gain some life skills that they will take back to their Communities and memories of their experiences on a National stage will remain with them for the rest of their lives.

The Rio Tinto Cup is facilitated by the South Australian National Football League and the AFL, and supported by the Commonwealth and State Governments. The major sponsor is the diversified miner Rio Tinto

The original idea of an Indigenous Communities Challenge Cup as a curtain-raiser to an A.F.L. game was first mooted in 2003 by Don McSweeny and Jack Johncock and they worked together to coordinate a Facilitation Committee that first met in Port Augusta in August 2004. Strong support came from the Office of Recreation and Sport and the A.P.Y. Lands Community Development Manager at the time Mr Ian Liddy. The late Doctor Archie Barton represented the Maralinga Lands Council.

A facilitation Committee comprising key stakeholders who were keen to create opportunities for young Anangu men to exhibit their skills on the big stage was formed at this meeting.

Rio Tinto came on board as a major sponsor and the Rio Tinto Indigenous Lands Challenge Cup was born. The continued support of Rio Tinto has made the event a huge success.

The “Adelaide Football Club has adopted the APY Lands in a three-year engagement strategy to build the capacity of the adopted community by encouraging Indigenous people to reach their full potential. Interested and committed and proud to call ourselves “ the team for All South Australians” the club will partner with the APY lands communities in conjunction with the local schools and agencies to engage young people in school and sporting activities and to deliver the 1Seven program. The nature of the program will vary from community to community and link with existing activities being delivered. The Adelaide Football Club is very interested in assisting in Coach Education, Sports Trainer’s seminars, Team Manager seminars and its popular Crows in Schools program using AFC staff throughout the APY Lands.


In the week leading into the Adelaide vs Carlton game the APY Lands team will have a team dinner with Crows players Andrew McLeod and Graham Johncock. The APY Lands team will also do a warm up with crows team with there main training session on the Friday and also have a photo with the AFC Indigenous players.

After the game on Saturday the APY Lands and Maralinga teams will also represent the Guard of Honour as this also represent Indigenous Round for the AFL.

“Come along and witness this exhibition of raw talent at 12:00 Noon on Saturday May 23rd prior to Adelaide v Carlton.”

Information flyer


 

 

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