Tomorrow in Townsville, 200 of the brightest indigenous football talents in our great country take part in one of Australia’s most widespread football festivals involving competitors from all corners of Australia.
We’re not talking about AFL, rugby league or even rugby. We’re talking about the round ball football code — sometimes still called soccer.
The Townsville festival is the culmination of months of regional football festivals around Australia, with great football mentors and coaches involved in helping to prepare teams for the festival. It’s a sort of FIFA World Cup style finals series where the best indigenous teams around the country congregate in Townsville for a four day festival of the boot to try and find the best indigenous Aussie football team.
It’s also a great opportunity to spot some of the best young indigenous talent and provide them with their opportunity to become one of Australia’s next generation of famous football players.
This February, the FFA launched its eagerly anticipated Indigenous football program. The response has been tremendous. The FFA’s overriding objective is within ten years to get to five per cent of all professional footballers in this country, male and female, with indigenous backgrounds, playing in the national football competitions.
That’s a pretty ambitious target set by the FFA, given that currently it stands at well below one per cent. But if the enthusiasm and participation in the first year’s festival is any indication, then it’s well within reach.
As with other codes, the move into indigenous communities with football helps to strengthen those communities, helps them to be socially more adept, reduce crime and leads to greater participation in school activities and improved community health and well being.
The war of the codes is being fought on many fronts, and in many local communities, and the push into indigenous Australia by the Football Federation of Australia is another way that the sport is trying to increase its appeal over others.
The football festival is the FFA’s first step into indigenous communities.
And who knows how many players of indigenous descent will be playing for the Socceroos, if and when we host the World Cup finals here in our own country in 2018 or 2022?
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Joe FC said | July 4th 2009 @ 1:13pm | Report comment
It’s a great story jimbo, I’m sure Warren Mundine will be fascinated to read “your” article.
Koala Bear said | July 4th 2009 @ 2:20pm | Report comment
Jimbo,
great article and it’s about choice and having a representative of the indigenous community playing for the Socceroos in 2018 Australia’s World Cup… Good on Harry Williams and company, a well deserved important programme to get behind and foster…
~~~~~~~~
KB
jimbo said | July 4th 2009 @ 2:29pm | Report comment
Joe,
surely you mean the great Tony Mundine or Anthony Mundine.
Midfielder said | July 4th 2009 @ 4:27pm | Report comment
Jimbo
Nice article will add more latter.
Jumbo said | July 7th 2009 @ 10:03am | Report comment
Jimbo,
The festival is a great initiative but it needs to be put into perspective Jimbo. The festival is not a culmination of the best indigenous football/soccer talent in the country. The teams only represent communities not states. Eg; the Dubbo team is only made up of kids from the Dubbo & surrounding areas. Some have never played before or only at a local level. Some of the best talent is still out there playing at local, regional or state level (via the mainstream progression system) who didn’t get a chance to play at the festival. Next year the FFA needs to work with the Federation states Football NSW, Tas, WA etc to ensure proper trials are held & the best players get to play-this was not done in NSW. Imagine the team that could come from this (proper) system. That team should then get a chance to play one of the Aus Joeys teams. The current system/festival was too rushed & hasty – I think to get things going-& for the bid-thats ok but its gotta change next year for credibility. Look into this Jimbo. Good story anyway.
jimbo said | July 8th 2009 @ 12:10am | Report comment
jumbo,
good points, but this is the only indigenous football competition in Australia so hard to say who is the best.
The tournament standard has been fairly good and uncovered some real talent:
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/07/06/64321_ntsport.html
This is the first one and room for improvement, but well received and look for improvements and a bigger comp next year.
The federal government is well pleased and putting up more financial assistance for the program and there are a number of other initiatives going on in rural communities and gives the indigenous kids a chance to play football if they want to.
jumbo said | July 8th 2009 @ 6:05pm | Report comment
Jimbo,
I knew there would be talent found whether some of the kids had played before or not. I wasn’t trying to be negative I’m just not sure what the the ffa is trying to do – I think they need a bit of direction. Point taken about the only competition of its kind. My view is the ffa & their state/territory counterparts should run more local or regional competitions. At these competitions they should be encouraging/supporting the kids to sign up with their local soccer club. In the remote areas maybe assist with setting up the communtities with their own competitions. Teams from these comps could then go onto the major comp. Getting to the point – if these kids are going to make it to the A League or Australian team & world cup then at some stage they must come through the mainstream systems to be able to compete at that level just like North, Dodd, Harry Williams etc. I really want to see this work. Good to see the govt getting behind the initiative.
Proud Parent said | July 10th 2009 @ 3:28pm | Report comment
I would like to congratulate the FFA & their State Representatives for putting together the Indigenous Football Festival just held in Townsville. There was a lot of positives to come out of this festival for reasons other than finding the next Dodd or North ect.. My 13 yr son came back with a greater appreciation and understanding of the very real differences and difficulties that some, though not all, Indigenous Youth face to be able to play in any sporting competion, be it Football, (all codes) Tennis, Cricket, Swimming ect.. Some of the players that he met from around the Country had to travel very long distances, both by road and by plane just to get to the Festival. That being Indigenous, was not necessarily idenitified by the shade of a persons skin or a perceived behaviour. He was able to play against boys up to 3yrs his senior, who all played showing fair and good sportsmanship, with no negative episodes from any or the games. Back at the accomodation, he was able to mix easily with boys from other states and he discovered through the many conversations between boys from all over the country, that there was a real strong kinship throughout many of the family connections and communities. All the boys exchanged playing tops with others and this gesture also gave the boys a sense of pride of belonging to the wider Australian Indigenous Community. This Competition/Festival was not perhaps totally representative of the very best and real talent of actual Indigenous playing football young men, but hopefully in time and with all that FFA will learn from this the first tournament, there is room for improvement. Our son has come back a Taller and Prouder young man, who will go back to his Club and School Teams, happy to share his experiences and that of the exciting future of Inigenous Football that will descend onto Australia in the years to come. Lets hope that as the word spreads throughout the sporting and school arenas, that more and more Indigenous players come forward to trial out for next years Tournament. Thankyou FFA and all your dedicated staff for a wonderful experience.
MVDave said | July 10th 2009 @ 4:07pm | Report comment
Proud Parent
Great feedback…thanks for providing us with an insight into such a important tournament. As you say hope it has even more participants next year.
Joe FC said | July 10th 2009 @ 4:12pm | Report comment
thanks Proud Parent for sharing your family’s experiences.