Indigenous Round – May 24-26
Indigenous Round celebrates the contribution players, participants, fans and Indigenous communities bring to the game. The theme this year is "Identity". Identity is an important aspect of Indigenous culture and resonates strongly with Indigenous players.
The theme was inspired by Nicky Winmar‟s iconic gesture at Victoria Park in 1993 when, at the conclusion of St Kilda‟s match against Collingwood, he raised his jumper and pointed at his skin and declared: ''I'm black - and I'm proud to be black!''
The 2013 Indigenous Round will celebrate this moment and remind football fans of its significance in the history of our game, and the identity it gives each and every Indigenous player in the AFL.
Despite coming from various origins, Indigenous players in the AFL are brought together by Australia‟s game. Fans and players from all backgrounds should work together to make AFL an inclusive and tolerant environment for everyone.
Sydney Swans star and AFL Ambassador Adam Goodes says this year‟s resonates with his own experiences, and should be appreciate by people of all races.
"The instant reaction is that it reminds me of the times I‟ve had to stand up for myself when I‟ve been racially abused on the football field, at school, by my own relatives," Goodes said.
"It‟s a very powerful thing that Nicky Winmar did and it made it a lot easier for people to stand up for who they are.
"The key message is that no matter if you are black, white, Asian, you should be proud of who you are. If people want to discriminate against you then you stand up proud and tall like Nicky Winmar does in that photo and say, „You know what? I‟m proud to be black, I‟m proud to be who I am.‟" In Australia there are more than 300 different nations (individual Indigenous groups) who speak over 500 languages. In 2013, there are 79 Indigenous players – which represents10.25 per cent of all AFL players. GWS GIANTS player Curtly Hampton says that this year‟s Indigenous Round theme of Identity acknowledges the diversity of this culture.
"Identity for Indigenous people is just knowing where you come from and your people and representing them through your sport, Indigenous Round is pretty important to all Indigenous people but all of us are different – we come from different places and different language groups," Hampton said.
Hampton says he has a very special connection to Nicky Winmar‟s historic gesture, with his uncle playing alongside Winmar for the Saints.
"It‟s one of the most historic moments in AFL, It changed a lot of things as every knows and I guess that was the start of our identity and people starting to take notice," he said.
"Non-Indigenous and Indigenous people respect that moment and respect Nicky Winmar or doing that.
"Especially for me, that‟s one of the moments I remember as a kid. My uncle Gilbert McAdam was playing in that game with Nicky Winmar and every time I used to see Uncle Gilbert when I was young he used to tell me about the story, playing in that game, so I know a lot about it and I‟ve heard the story since I was little. It was a pretty special moment for me personally"
To celebrate the diversity and reach of the game, matches will be played in every state in Round 9, and Adam Goodes encourages all Australians to participate in the celebrations.
"I think indigenous Round is a fantastic way for the AFL, supporters and its players to express how much of a contribution Indigenous players have made to the game. Whether it‟s on the field, off the field with umpires, staff, it‟s a fantastic contribution for indigenous people," Goodes said.
"To have a round, it‟s a celebration of that, the contribution and the contribution going forward is a fantastic thing and I look forward to seeing it growing it further in the future. I see more clubs are having an Indigenous Round strip and it‟s definitely something I would love to talk to our football club about having."
AFL NSW/ACT Indigenous Programs Manager Katriina Heikkanen says the significance of this round should be noted by everyone in the football community.
"Each year on all levels of football the Australian Football community recognises the Indigenous community and the past and present players that have made great contributions to our game," she said.
"This round acknowledges Nicky Winmar and the famous photo of him lifting his shirt and pointing to the colour of his skin - this was a significant moment not only in AFL history but in Aboriginal history.
"For a player who dealt with racism throughout his career, this was and still is a powerful message to everyone - we want everyone to enjoy the game, players, supporters and volunteers."
You can tell us how your club is celebrating Indigenous Round by filling out the nomination form below..prizes on offer!
Last Modified on 21/05/2013 12:24
