Indigenous Sporting Greats

Transcription

1 Indigenous Sporting Greats Introduction Australians love watching and playing sports! Australia does very well in the Olympic and Commonwealth Games. This is great when you compare our small population to that of other much bigger nations! Australia is a sports-loving nation! Sports are a way for different people to come together. The team becomes the new tribe and the players are the new chiefs of these communities. Sport has long been a bridge within and between communities. One of these bridges led right to the Indigenous peoples of Australia. Indigenous Australians have played sporting games for thousands of years. European colonists wrote about Indigenous games. These games went on for days and moved kilometres across a giant playing field. A rugby field is only 100 metres long - imagine how big a game that went for kilometres would be! This game, played by both men and women, was called Marngrook. It was a lot like Aussie Rules football. Some people think Australian Rules football is actually based on Marngrook. People have come to Australia from all over the world. They brought their cultures with them. This helped make Australia what it is today. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the country s original inhabitants. They have played a major role in Australian sport at all levels. Australia's Indigenous people have the world s oldest continuous cultural tradition. Australia s Indigenous people have been living here for 50,000 to 80,000 years! 2 Knowledge Books & Software, 2016

2 Indigenous Sporting Greats Australian history includes many stories about brave soldiers, battlers and bushrangers. There are also sporting heroes, working heroes, and migrants who were hungry for success. The Australian climate allows sports to be played all year. In most places in Australia it does not snow. This means outdoor sports can still be played in winter. All of the sunshine at other times of the year means that sports can be played after work and school. Australia is proud of its sporting successes, Indigenous heritage and mix of cultures. It is also proud of its arts scene and its successes in science and medicine. If you watch Australian sports, you will see a lot of Indigenous players! Success in sport can be a way for Indigenous people to provide for their families. Great Britain established the first European settlement in Australia at Sydney Cove in The Indigenous peoples of Australia were quickly outnumbered. Free settlers, convicts, and migrants came to Australia from about 200 countries. These people all came with their own religions, cultures and ways of life. These soon blended and changed to form an idea of what it is to be Australian. Sadly, little regard was given to the ways of life of Indigenous Australians. A lot of traditional Indigenous games were lost. Today, tennis balls are used instead of spears, and footballs instead of waddies. Knowledge Books & Software,

3 Indigenous Sporting Greats The number of Indigenous sporting heroes is enormous! They play in all the football codes - Rugby Union, Rugby League, AFL and soccer. They also play many other sports, such as tennis, cricket, softball, boxing and athletics. Famous Indigenous athletes include: Benn Harradine, Bianca Franklin, Cathy Freeman, Jacob Groth, Jeff Mitta Dynevor, Ken Hampton, Nicole Cusack, Nova Peris-Kneebone, Tom Dancey, Stacey Campton, Sharon Finnan, Shane Parker, Robbie Crowther and many others. Famous Indigenous cricketers include: Bernie Lamont, Dan Christian, Danny Tye, Darcy Short, Eddie Gilbert, Edna Crouch, Faith Thomas, Glenn Martin, Guy Grey, Jack Marsh, Jason Dizzy Gillespie, Jeff Cook, Johnny Mullagh (Unaarrimin), Mabel Campbell, Sam Anderson, Vince Copley and many others. Famous Indigenous footballers and rugby players include the following: Adam Goodesy Goodes, Alan Karpany, Allistair Pickett, Ambrose McDonald, Andrew Krakouer, Andrew McLeod, Arthur Big Artie Beetson, Corey Ah Chee, Darrell West, David Peachey, David Wirrpanda, Justin Thurston and many others. 4 Knowledge Books & Software, 2016

4 Indigenous Sporting Greats Australians have a right to express their beliefs within the law. The law also allows them to take part in Australia s national life. These are the values that everyone in Australia should try and uphold: o respect for equal worth and freedom of each person; o freedom of speech; o freedom of religion, and a non-religious government; o support of democracy and the law; o equality under the law; o equality of men and women; o equality of opportunity; o peacefulness; o tolerance, mutual respect, and help for those in need. Each of these things is very important. Talk with your classmates and your teacher and see if you can work out what each of these mean. There are too many great Indigenous sportspeople for them all to fit in this book. The idea of this book is to show the talent of just some of Australia s Indigenous sporting heroes! It is a celebration of a people who have been badly treated, rising to greatness in modern Australia! Knowledge Books & Software,

5 Activities You might need access to a library or use the Internet to answer these questions. 1. Do some research into games and sports that were played by Indigenous Australians before European settlement. Describe these below. 2. What are some artefacts (ancient pieces of tools and crafts) that have been discovered in Australia? What do these tell us about the traditions of the Indigenous peoples before European settlement? 3. Do you follow a sports team? If so, are there any Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander players on this team? Choose someone to write a short biography of below. 6 Knowledge Books & Software, 2016

6 Australian Rules football (usually just called 'Aussie Rules') came about in Melbourne in From 1915, this game has been played all over Australian, and even in New Zealand. The game is very popular. It is the most played and watched sport in Australia. It is an exciting game on the field and perfect for a class of students to play. There is a place in the game for people of any size from tall kickers to shorter passers. To play Aussie Rules you just need a field and something to stand as goals! But to play well you will need speed, stamina, and quick reflexes for ball handling and kicking! Australian Rules football is watched equally by males and females. Rugby and soccer are watched more by males. Aussie Rules is an exciting game to watch! The rules are easy to follow and the pace is very quick, making it a great sport to watch. The highest level of play for Aussie Rules is the Australian Football League (AFL). At first it was called the Victorian Football League (VFL). The name was changed in 1990 because teams from other states had joined in the 1980s. The VFL still exists. It is a semi-professional league just for teams from Victoria. Australia is the only country where Australian Rules football is played professionally. International matches have been played in Ireland. These games used rules made up from both Australian Rules and Gaelic football. Australian Rules football is Australia s leading spectator sport per year. It gets more than 14 million viewers at all levels of the game. Australian Rules football is the main football code in four of six Australian states. Every year the AFL has attracted crowds totalling over five million people. There are also millions more tuning in to watch it on television or listen to games on the radio. Around 500,000 Australians also support their AFL club by becoming members. (AFL Report, 2002). Knowledge Books & Software,

7 AFL games are played between two teams of 18 players. The games can be played on a cricket field, an Australian Football ground or a similarsized stadium. It feels like a giant oval paddock to a rugby or soccer player! The core values of Aussie Rules football include: o All are equal on the field of play regardless of class and background. The skills and strengths players bring to the game are what is important. o Fair-play. All players are bound to the same rules of the game. o The importance of team-work, particularly during hard times. o Never giving up without a fight and never letting our mates down. o Knowing that tough defence is as important as attack. o Individualism is good, but should not get in the way of the team. Before European settlement, Indigenous peoples had their own team games. This meant it was fairly easy for them to get involved in the colonists sports. Early settlers wrote about kicking and running games very much like modern AFL. These games were played by 20 or more players where the ball was fought over and thrown to other team members. It would have been easy for colonists to see the huge potential with Indigenous players. In some ways, the strict rules of the game helped bring attention to Indigenous issues. These issues include a lack of equality and opportunity. The racist feelings of some community members were loudly called out by the AFL. This has helped move the broader community towards tolerance. 8 Knowledge Books & Software, 2016

8 Indigenous AFL Achievements Players of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island descent have won: Three Brownlow Medals which are given to the Best and Fairest player of the season: Gavin Wanganeen in 1993, while he was an Essendon player; Adam Goodes in 2003, tying with Collingwood s Nathan Buckley and Adelaide's Mark Ricciuto; Adam Goodes won again in Six Norm Smith Medals which are given to the Grand Final player of the match: Maurice Rioli, Richmond (1982); Peter Matera, West Coast (1992); Michael Long, Essendon (1993); Andrew McLeod, Adelaide (1997 and 1998); Byron Pickett, Port Adelaide (2005). Three AFL Rising Star awards: Byron Pickett, Kangaroos (1998); Adam Goodes, Sydney (1999); Danyle Pearce, Port Adelaide, (2006). Six Sandover Medals: Ted Kilmurray (1958); Polly Farmer (1956, 1957, 1960); Barry Cable (1964, 1968, 1973); Stephen Michael (1980, 1981); Phil Narkle (1982); Michael Mitchell (1984). An Indigenous community Australian Rules football game. Knowledge Books & Software,

9 Indigenous AFL Players Les Bamblett Les Bamblett was born on the 5 th of August, He played with Melbourne and Footscray in the VFL. In 1982, he won the Morrish Medal for the best and fairest player in the VFL Under 19 s competition. In 1983, Bamblett made a senior debut against Collingwood in the opening round of the VFL season. That same year, he played another ten matches. He briefly joined the WAFL club Claremont, but then went back to Victoria in 1984 to play for Footscray. That year Footscray finished second after Bamblett made 51 goals. He played 24 games that season including three finals. Over the next three years, Bamblett was only able to play another six matches as he was injured. Laurie Bellotti Laurie Bellotti was born on the 28 th of February, He played with the West Coast Eagles in the AFL. In 1996, he joined the Claremont Colts premiership side. In 1998 he played a full season for the seniors. In 1999, he played 15 games for the Eagles as a rookie. He was moved up from the rookie list at the end of the season. Bellotti appeared in nine more games in the AFL, and ended his career at West Perth in the WAFL. 10 Knowledge Books & Software, 2016

10 Peter Gabriel Burgoyne Peter Gabriel Burgoyne was born on the 29 th of January, He is of the Kokatha people in South Australia. While at the Port Adelaide AFL club he mostly played as a midfielder and on the half back flank. Peter Gabriel Burgoyne grew up in the Northern Territory. He started playing football with St Mary s in the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL). His younger brother, Shaun Burgoyne, is also a footballer. Burgoyne s father is former Port Adelaide player Peter Burgoyne Senior. When the SANFL changed over to the AFL, Peter Gabriel Burgoyne was part of the first Port Adelaide AFL team. Burgoyne was an outstanding attacking midfielder. He played 240 games with Port Adelaide. He was an important part of the premiership-winning team in He retired from the AFL in Shaun Playford Burgoyne Shaun Burgoyne was born on the 21 st of October, He is the younger brother of Peter Burgoyne. Shaun is of Kokatha descent. Shaun Burgoyne started in the AFL in 2002, for Port Adelaide Power. He started on the forward line. Later he played as a rebounding defender. He was part of the Port Adelaide premiership-winning team in In 2010, Shaun moved from Port Adelaide to Hawthorn. He wanted to play for a Victorian club after his brother Peter retired. At Hawthorn he was given the No. 9 jumper of former club champion Shane Crawford. Shaun Burgoyne was part of Hawthorn s premiership-winning team in 2013, 2014 and This makes him a 4-time premiership winning player. Knowledge Books & Software,

11 Cyril Collard Cyril Collard was born on the 20 th of September, He is of the Noongar people of Western Australia. Cyril began his football career at the Subiaco Football Club. He played two seasons at the club. He was among the top three finishers for the best and fairest award. He moved to Melbourne in He trained with Collingwood but chose to play with Hawthorn. He played for Hawthorn between 1957 and After retiring from football, Cyril became a professional runner. He reached the final of the Stawell Gift a famous race. He also served in the Metropolitan Fire Brigade between 1958 and He earned the rank of Senior Fire Fighter. Trent Cummings Trent Cummings was born on the 28 th of December, In the AFL, he played with Fitzroy and the West Coast Eagles. He mostly played on the wing or at half forward. His was a family of sports people. Cummings great grandfather, Joe Johnson, and elder brother Robert also played for Fitzroy. Joe Johnson was the first Indigenous Australian to play in the VFL. Trent s father Percy played for Hawthorn. Trent Cummings was selected sixth in the 1993 AFL draft. He played three seasons with Fitzroy. In 1996, Fitzroy joined with the Brisbane Bears to make the new Brisbane Lions team. When this happened, Cummings did not get a spot on the new team. He joined the West Coast Eagles with pick 57 in the national draft. He was able to get picked even after having knee reconstruction surgery. In 1997, Cummings only played two games at his new club. He spent most of his time in the WAFL at Peel Thunder. His career ended quickly when his knee was injured in a practice match during the 1998 pre-season. 12 Knowledge Books & Software, 2016

12 William Brian "Bill" Dempsey, MBE William Brian Dempsey was born on the 17 th of March, He was born in Birdum, a railway settlement in the Northern Territory. He began his football career at the Buffaloes Football Club in the NTFL. He also played in the Western Australian National Football League (WANFL). He was admitted to the AFL Northern Territory and the West Australian Football Halls of Fame. Dempsey played 343 games for West Perth. This is a record that has only been broken by Mel Whinnen, who played 371 games for the club. Dempsey made his first appearance in the WANFL in He became a regular in the West Perth side. In 1966, he won the Breckler Medal as the club s best and fairest. He played as part of the premiership side in 1969, 1971, and During summers, Dempsey was able to return to the Northern Territory to play in the NTFL. He was Darwin s club captain for the 1964 and 1965 seasons. During the seasons, Dempsey was part of the undefeated premiership side. In June 1963, he played his first match for Western Australia. This game was against Tasmania at Subiaco Oval. He played 14 matches for the state. He played two at the Australian Championships in He retired at the end of the 1976 season, at the age of 34. Knowledge Books & Software,

13 Gary Dhurrkay Gary Dhurrkay was born on the 4 th of March, In 1994, he was part of the East Fremantle Football Club s premiership side in the WAFL. In 1995, he was part of Fremantle's first AFL team. Gary was moved down to the WAFL in 1998 after having a poor season. That same year he played in the East Fremantle Football Club. Afterwards, he was dropped by Fremantle. The Kangaroos gave Dhurrkay a second chance when they chose him in the 1998 draft. In the 1999 and 2000 season at his new club, he played 21 games. He then retired in mid He became the leader of Marngarr community in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. Gary died at 31 years of age in a car accident. 14 Knowledge Books & Software, 2016

14 Alf Egan Alf Egan was born on the 3 rd of April, He was the first Indigenous Australian to play for both the Carlton and North Melbourne clubs in the VFL. Egan played in the 1932 VFL Grand Final. He replaced Jack Green who got hurt. Sadly Egan was not able to push his team to a win. Jeff Farmer Jeff Farmer was born on the 24 th of June, He was the first Indigenous player to kick 400 goals in the AFL. In 1995, Farmer began his professional football career at the Melbourne Football Club. He was one of the most exciting players of the AFL. He was called the The Wizard because he could score goals even where no one could see one coming. In a match in 2000, he scored nine goals in the second half against Collingwood. He ended the 2000 season with a career best of 76 goals. After this he was chosen for the All-Australian team. At the end of 2001, Farmer was traded to Fremantle. He played 118 games and scored 259 goals for Fremantle. He was later traded to Melbourne. He retired from the AFL at the end of the 2008 season. Knowledge Books & Software,

15 Adam Goodes Adam was born in Wallaroo, South Australia in His mother s nation was the Adnyamathanha and Narungga people of South Australia. Adam was a great AFL player. He played over 372 games for the Sydney Swans. Adam won two Brownlow Medals, three Bob Skilton Medals, and many other awards. He was also part of the Sydney Swans when they won the Premiership in both 2005 and In 2014, he was named Australian of the Year for his work with Indigenous issues. He called out racism when he saw it. In one match he did an Indigenous war dance, like the New Zealand Haka. He was booed by the crowd. He was called an ape by a young spectator. Goodes asked for her to be removed from the grounds. Some saw this as heavy-handed. But they were not the ones not being insulted! Off the field, Adam was interested in Indigenous issues. He wrote about the similarities between Marngrook and AFL. Goodes is one of the greats of the AFL. The many things Adam did for the sport and his people will always be remembered. 16 Knowledge Books & Software, 2016

16 Syd Jackson Syd Jackson was born on the 1 st of July, His professional football career started in 1963 at East Perth. Jackson was equal first in that year's Sandover Medal count! But sadly he couldn't win because he had been suspended. He was named East Perth's best and fairest player in He played his first game with Carlton in In 1970 and 1972 he was part of the premiership-winning team for Carlton. To make sure Jackson played in the grand final, lies were told about a fight between him and Lee Adamson. 22 years later, Jackson said it was club president George Harris who told him to say the fight was because of racism. Christopher Lockley "Chris" Lewis Christopher Lockley Lewis was born on the 17 th of March, He was one of the sons of Irwin Lewis, who was a sportsman, scholar, public servant, and artist. Lewis attended Christ Church Grammar School. His father and older brothers Clayton and Cameron had also attended the same school. He played for the Claremont Football club in the WAFL. He joined the West Coast Eagles AFL club in He played 215 matches for the club, and kicked 259 goals. He was a member of the 1992 and 1994 West Coast Eagles premiership teams. He was also part of the 1996 Claremont WAFL premiership team. Lewis was a very skilled player but often got into trouble. He was suspended three times. First, for biting Todd Viney s finger in In 1992, he poked Stephen Macpherson in the eye. In 1993, he pushed Peter Worsford head-first into the fence. Knowledge Books & Software,

17 Norm McDonald Norm McDonald was born on the 25 th of December, In 1949 and 1950 he played in the Essendon premiership teams. He won the Essendon Best and Fairest award in He was also a leading amateur athlete, holding the 5,000 metre Australian title in 1948 and Michael Mitchell Michael Mitchell was born on the 25 th of November, He began his senior football career with Claremont in the WAFL. In 1984 he won the Sandover Medal. He achieved All-Australian selection in 1985 and Mitchell signed a three-year contract with Richmond in the VFL in May He was one of the most exciting players of the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was very quick and could leap very high. Even though he was smaller than other players, Mitchell was good at chasing them down. He was also a strong tackler. In 1990, he won both Mark of the Year and Goal of the Year. He was the second player in the history of the game to win both! A number of head injuries cut short his career. Justin Murphy Justin Murphy was born on the 24 th of April, He went to John Gardiner Secondary College. He played junior AFL with the Central Dragons. He was a midfielder who had a big 55-meter kick. Murphy began his career at Richmond. He moved to Carlton, then to Geelong. He went back to Carlton, before going to Essendon in This was even though he had said that he hated Essendon. He retired from the AFL at the end of 2005, at 29 years of age. 18 Knowledge Books & Software, 2016

18 Charlie Stewart Charlie Stewart was born on the 19 th of March, He was an Australian Rules football player and coach. In 1957, he played reserve grade for Essendon and did the same when he later joined Footscray. He moved to Footscray after being cleared in April That same year he played 20 matches in the VFL season. Rod Waddell Rod Waddell was born on the 23 rd of May, He played for the Lalor Football Club in the Diamond Valley Football League (DVFL). When he joined the VFL in 1981 he first went to Collingwood, but this was a mistake. Lalor was one of only two DVFL clubs which were not part of Collingwood's zone. He should have gone to Carlton. In 1981, the Collingwood reserve team lost four premiership points. This was because they had fielded Waddell when they shouldn't have. Waddell moved to Carlton and played three senior games for the club. Later he was allowed to move to Geelong mid-season. He played twenty more senior games between 1982 and Knowledge Books & Software,

19 Gavin Adrian Wanganeen Gavin Adrian Wanganeen was born on the 18 th of June, He is of Kokatha Mula origin. He is a Brownlow Medallist and one of the best Indigenous players in the history of the game. He played junior football in the South Australian Amateur Football League. He played with Port Adelaide in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL). This was in 1990 when he was just sixteen years old. He played 24 matches, and kicked 46 goals. He won the SANFL Rookie of the Year award. The next year he joined the Essendon AFL club. At Essendon, Wanganeen played as an attacking defender. He was an important part of the team that beat Carlton to win the 1993 Premiership. That same year, Gavin Wanganeen was awarded the Brownlow medal. He retired from the AFL in 2006 after playing over 300 AFL games, and playing in two AFL premierships. He was the first Indigenous player to win the Brownlow. He was only one vote away from winning it a second time in Knowledge Books & Software, 2016

20 Activities You might need to go to a library or use the Internet to answer these questions. 1. Research the rules of Gaelic football. How is Gaelic football different from Australian Rules football? 2. What are some of the ways the AFL has tried to combat racism? 3. What is the Brownlow Medal given for? 4. Name one of the Indigenous AFL stars you have been following. Knowledge Books & Software,

21 Activities 5. Go back through the biographies above and place them in a timeline from the earliest players to the most recent. 22 Knowledge Books & Software, 2016