There wouldn’t be an Australian over the age of 20 who doesn’t vividly remember Cathy Freeman’s run in the final of the women’s 400m final at the Sydney Olympics.
Indigenous Australians have made tremendous and often visually spectacular contributions to Australian Sport.
In our two national football codes the likes of Jonathon Thurston and Adam Goodes are universally applauded and admired, and indigenous representation is significantly higher than the proportion of the Australian population they represent.
However, to me, there is something just a little off about the search for talent and its impact on indigenous communities.
A recent article by John Anderson in The Herald Sun triggered some more thinking on this topic and raised more questions than answers.
So I find myself here on The Roar voicing some of my thoughts.
Are we really sure our quest for talent among our indigenous population isn’t another case of the white man making the indigenous Australian jump through white hoops?
The Australian population loves sport, craves success and takes great pride in national and domestic sporting performance and we naturally assume the indigenous population does also.
But theirs is a different culture with different values. Why are we so certain their culture is just as passionate about sporting excellence?
Whenever a sport comes to an indigenous community and plucks a talented athlete out to be transplanted into a professional national team, or residential development program, problems are created.
Firstly, the well documented dislocation and feelings of isolation within the athletes themselves and secondly, the void that athlete’s removal creates in his own family and community.
Often these individuals are considered leaders or potential leaders in their own community and their departure has a detrimental effect on that community on many levels (case in point – Liam Jurrah).
Whenever an indigenous athlete like Zeph Skinner from the Western Bulldogs returns home, we worry that the ‘system’ has failed him when really we should just be more understanding and accept that family and community are more important to this young man than playing in front of 60,000 fans at the MCG (eventually that will happen for the Bulldogs!).
And, all said and done, what is really wrong with that?
Our indigenous communities have multiple problems – alcohol abuse, unacceptably high child mortality rates, low life expectancy, poor levels of literacy just to name a few.
Maybe we should focus our resources on resolving those problems rather than finding the next Cathy Freeman?
I hope indigenous Australians continue to enrich our sporting landscape and every young Australian with talent (be it in sport or some other endeavour) deserves the opportunity to develop that talent.
But they should also be free to choose their own path.
What’s your best bet? For great odds on all your favourite sports check out PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
It’s a pretty good time to be a Tasmanian sports fan right now. After years in the sporting wilderness with not much to celebrate,…
Olympic swimming legend and Australian Sports Commission boss Kieren Perkins has warned that "someone will die" if a multi-sport event that allows athletes to…
In 2015 when heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury beat Wladimir Klitschko, the fighter regarded by many as the ‘Greatest of all time’ in the sport,…
Join Australia's most vibrant online sports community and you have the chance to win $1000. The Roar is the perfect blend of sports reporting,…
Here is a review of our boxers who made a splash in the world rankings over the past year.
After intense debate at Roar HQ, we’ve selected the 23 most controversial moments for 2023.
