AFL's indigenous stars dazzling with their skills

It was edited heavily. The original sentence was "Football is a beautiful game".

I also concur, i don't want to say it's ignorant, so i won't. The AFL is a league not a game. Have 2 football tabs if you wish, Australian football and Association football, i think we are all grown up enough to respect that.

Exactly right.

Good points MC, indigenous players in the AFL are going to grow and grow. Heard on the Marngrook Footy Show last night that there are some 90,000 indigenous Australians playing Australian football. The game is constantly improving the pathways for these talented kids to give themselves achance of breaking into the AFL through natural skills, hard work (agree with Adam Goodes) and leadership. The Rio Tinto partnership program is an excellent initiative.

Well the intervention is hardly equality before the law, how would like to be told how to spend your money? Forced medical checkups appeal to you? Would you like your liberty taken away from you, 'for you own good'? But that's another issue altogether I suppose. I agree that sport is good at reconciliation, as far as I've seen the likes of the AFL & NRL are one of few organisations (including governments) who have successfully bridged some of those wealth gaps and 'quality of life' gaps. "Sport is a powerful force and it is fantastic the efforts that sports bodies are making towards this inclusiveness." Seconded.

Beast-A-Tron, it will only remain contentious if we don't discuss it. I understand your sentiments and treating Aboriginal people as equal before the law is already enshrined in the system but it is how you interpret the law and justice is not always equal. Money is rarely the answer. The harder part is a genuine reconciliation and acceptance. Saying sorry means very little if the action does not follow. In fact many Aboriginals have moved on from the sorry and whilst they may not have forgotten they have forgiven. Sport is a powerful force and it is fantastic the efforts that sports bodies are making towards this inclusiveness.

Firstly sorry to be pedantic however AFL is a not a beautiful game. Australian Football is a beautiful game. The AFL (note the 'The') is a League. I don't know why I read this site that purports to be the font of all thats sporting. Admins please get your terminologies right.

"Our politicians can learn from our sports administrators. Rudd started a Strategic Indigenous Housing scheme that budgeted 640 million to build 750 houses. Well,as of February 2010 they have built two houses out of the planned 750 and already spent 42.5 million in infrastructure…where is the money going?" My humble opinion, Positive discrimination (i.e. affirmative action) disenfranchises those which it was attempting to help. I don't think throwing money at various communities will help. Treat Aborigines as equals before the law, just like any other Australian. I understand it is a contentious issue for many and they may think that what I'm saying is 'bad'. But having looked at history, analysing successive governments (Liberal & Labor) over several decades attempting to bridge 'quality of life' gaps by throwing money at it, I genuinely believe that the only policy that will work is one consistent with individual liberty.

Art, Most of the time when soccer fans fantasise about their uptopian future I am sceptical and I put it down to emotionally based soothsaying. But I think you've made a really credible prediction. I'm unaware of how popular soccer is within Aborigine communities, but notwithstanding I can see this eventuating in the future. Maybe not MU or Real, but perhaps along the lines of Fulham Mark schwarzer or Everton Cahill. I concur.

Correct, if you had bothered to read the rest of the link that i provided you would not have needed to post your own. However this thread was not about what happens to to many Aboriginals in later life, thanks for your wonderful post.

Art, the 1974 Socceroos team had an indigenous player called Harry Williams---he was skilful, athletic with enormous speed. if he was around today with the right coaching he would have been the first Australian indigenous player to make the big time in Europe. _____ AF

shadows of footsteps visible only as echoes seen only by the blind

and the first article refers to the Clontarf AFL Acadmey, this Clontarf program has been a major success and is, as illustrated, becoming a model for other initiatives/codes to blue print. There's a map on the above link that shows the distribution of academies around the country - - well, WA, NT and Vic. I know the AFL has got 2 running in NSW (at least) in Blacktown and Campbelltown. The NRL have been doing things too but I've got little knowledge about that. Anyway - - it's about time that the Vic Govt came on board, and these more recent academies based in Victoria are well overdue. Ironically - - this is the sort of year on year program that the AFL get's a piddling amount of regular Fed Govt support for!!!! (and was what Johnnie Howard was seemingly threatening to withdraw back when Howard was confused b/w WADA testing and additional illicit drugs testing).

You are spot on about the hunter-gatherer lifestyle producing better physical specimens than the farming lifestyle adopted by Europeans. By having to chase after your prey and not being able to rely on a heap of stored grain you had to be at your physical peak.

did you notice from the 2nd article : Leading Senior Constable Robbie Noggler of Corio police got the idea for a soccer program at last year's meeting of the state's police Aboriginal liaison officers, when he heard a speech about an AFL initiative. hmmmm.......

Vinay - I wish I knew where the money was going. Same could be said about any Govt funded scheme (like classrooms improvements). But back on topic, my theory is that indigenous people's greater spatial awareness is due to 40k years of having an active hunting lifestyle. When farming technologies spread across Eurasia we became quite sedentary in comparison. Here are 2 great pieces on how sport can help Koori youth. http://www.theage.com.au/national/new-start-for-young-kooris-20100507-ujtl.html http://www.theage.com.au/sport/soccer/soccer-gives-young-koori-players-a-goal-in-life-20100507-ujti.html

Another interesting slant on all this is the annual Indigenous AFL All-Stars V Collingwood(or Essendon ?) held in the top end. This game always has many of the brightest ALL-Stars pull out ??

Art, it is commendable what the AFL is doing. And I am sure League and Cricket also do their bit. Our politicians can learn from our sports administrators. Rudd started a Strategic Indigenous Housing scheme that budgeted 640 million to build 750 houses. Well,as of February 2010 they have built two houses out of the planned 750 and already spent 42.5 million in infrastructure...where is the money going? Adam Goodes may put it down to hard work and obviously you have to work hard but the Aboriginal people definitely have a greater spatial awareness. Mark Ella was always ahead of the game. Ever seen a West Indian dance ? Or a brazilian..they have it. It is not stereotyping it is a fact and one to celebrate.

Australia's sporting public have been fortunate to witness the wondrous skills of our indigenous athletes. I look into my crystal ball and I see an Australian indigenous player starring for Manchester United or Real Madrid and his name will be worn on kids replica jerseys around the world. He will become indigenous Australia's greatest ambassador. His football skills will bring the world together and make a proud community even prouder.

Norm - 1983 VFL indigenous All Stars def Richmond/Mildura in Mildura : All-Stars 37.11 (233) def Richmond/Mildura 14.11 (95) 1994 - All-Stars 13.10 (88) def Collingwood 10.8 (68) 2003 - All-Stars 19.16 (130) def Carlton 8.9 (57) 2005 - All-Stars def Western Bulldogs 2007 - Essendon 14.9 (93) def All-Stars 6.7 (43) 2009 - All-Stars 14.13 (97) def Adelaide 6.7 (43) From 1994 on, all games have been played in Darwin. Not sure that a full copy of the NRL game is necessary, that was a bit over the top really.