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Abstract
By engaging with all the members of the Australian Football League's (AFL) Indigenous Team of the Century named in August 2005, I provide an overview of Indigenous participation in Australian football, sport and Australian society in general. These players have been interviewed for an oral history project undertaken by the author. I discuss some of the specific themes and issues that Indigenous footballers have had to face and overcome, and the progress that the AFL has made in bringing Indigenous Australians into a mainstream consciousness. Further, I illustrate and demonstrate that, through Australian football, the marginalized history of Indigenous people can be told, understood and appreciated.
Notes
1 Personal interview with Michael Long, 2009.
2 Patrick Dodson has been Commissioner within the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the Chairman of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.
3 CitationMhando, Liyarn Ngarn.
4 , Gambling on the First Race and The Myth of Privilege.
5 Terra Nullius refers to the legal doctrine that saw Australia occupied and colonized in 1788 without any formal treaty or recognition of the Indigenous inhabitants. This was overturned in 1992 by the Australian High Court in a case known as the Mabo case after Eddie Mabo challenged terra nullius.
6 The term Blackfella is a colloquial Indigenous Australian term for pan Aboriginality.
7 CitationTatz, Obstacle Race; CitationTatz, ‘The Dark Side of Australian Sport’; CitationTatz and Tatz, Black Gold.
8 Tatz and Tatz, Black Gold, 8.
9 CitationGardiner, Football and Racism.
10 The Age, April 23, 1997, B16.
11 For example, Jason Gillespie is the only test cricketer to have played for Australia who identifies as being Indigenous – Kaurna from South Australia.
12 Tatz and Tatz, Black Gold, 9.
13 For example, CitationLapchick, 100 Pioneers.
14 Tatz, ‘The Dark Side of Australian Sport’, 552–7.
15 CitationRuddell, Behind the Play, 89–106.
16 For example, CitationGodwell, ‘Playing the Game’; CitationGorman, ‘Blak Magik’; Gorman, Brotherboys, 153.
17 CitationKlugman and Osmond, ‘That Picture’, 79.
18 CitationAttwood and Markus, The 1967 Referendum.
19 Of the 24 players selected five did not play in the VFL/AFL.
20 Personal interview with Bill Dempsey, Perth, July 1, 2008.
21 Personal interview with Syd Jackson, Melbourne, September 25, 2008.
22 Personal interview with Barry Cable, Perth, July 8, 2008.
23 Personal interview with Maurice Rioli, Tiwi Islands, July 16, 2008.
24 Personal interview with Andrew McLeod, Darwin, February 6, 2009.
25 The Norm Smith Medal is awarded to the player judged best on ground in the AFL Grand Final.
26 CitationCollins, Champions, 140.
27 Personal interview with Nicky Winmar, Perth, July 9, 2008.
28 Personal interview with Byron Pickett, Ceduna, February 25, 2009.
29 Personal interview with Byron Pickett, Ceduna, February 25, 2009
30 Personal interview with Nicky Winmar, Perth, July 9, 2008.
31 Personal interview with Michael O' Loughlin, Sydney, February 21, 2008.
32 Personal interview with Syd Jackson, Melbourne, September 25, 2008.
33 AFL Record, 25–27 May 2007, 18.
34 Personal interview with Glenn James, Melbourne, September 16, 2009.
35 Personal interview with Michael McLean, Darwin, July 11, 2008.
36 Personal interview with Andrew McLeod, Darwin, February 6, 2009.
37 Personal interview with Syd Jackson, Melbourne, September 25, 2008.
38 Personal interview conducted on February 28, 2002.
39 Personal interview with Michael McLean, Darwin, July 11, 2008.
40 Personal interview with Michael Long, Melbourne, May 19, 2009.
41 Bachar Houli is a player for the Essendon Bombers and a devout practicing Muslim who has a prayer mat at the Essendon Football club so that he may undertake his prayers at certain times of the day.
42 All these players are from remote areas of Australia and have strong traditional backgrounds. For example English for Liam Jurrah is his fourth language and in 2007, he was de-listed from Collingwood's list because he went back home for a traditional funeral and ‘Sorry business’ without informing his club.
43 The Age, November 17, 2007, 29.
44 Tatz and Tatz, Black Gold, 7.