INAUGURAL Adelaide Crow Eddie Hocking will lead the Aboriginal All Stars in their quest to win a second Australian Country Football Championship title in Shepparton, Victoria, from today.
Hocking is coach of the All Stars side and wants to add another title to the one the invitational team secured at the championships in Bunbury, WA, in 2002.
The ACFC began in 1990 and have been held every two years in various locations around Australia ever since. Every State and Territory is represented at this weekend's event, except Tasmania and Northern Territory.
The All Stars are competing in the three-team Division 2 (with Queensland and Victoria 2) and have just two matches today at nearby Mooroopna to qualify for the final on Sunday.
Should the Aboriginal team end today ahead of their two opponents, they will play the fifth-placed Division 1 side (out of Victoria 1, WA, SA, NSW and ACT) for the Division 2 title. If not, they will play off in a 2nd v 3rd match.
Hocking believes doing the basics will hold his side in good stead and the 'X' factor that sometimes defines Aboriginal teams.
I think it will; just with the way we go about playing, to take the game on and that ability to gell together quickly," he said. "And if you've got the right attitude with discipline, you will have success in football. It's all about working together and communiciating, doing the little things right."
Hocking, Hewitt Whyman and VAYSAR's Richard Young, principal backer of the squad, have compiled a side built around the All-Australian team selected at the preceding Charles Perkins National Aboriginal Football Carnival held, incidentally, in Shepparton in February.
The All Stars will be led by Sydney footballer, Rodney Craig, who plays for the St George Crows in the Sydney Premier Division. Craig captained the NSW/ACT side at the Charles Perkins carnival. It is his first stint as skipper of the All Stars.
I think we've got some really good footballers in our team," Hocking said. "Rodney Craig has played in a couple of All Stars sides. He had a good carnival (in February).
"Plus the boys from Adelaide who have had success at Charles Perkins carnivals; Ricky O'Loughlin, Derek Newchurch and Alex Stengle. Local boys include John Jackson, David Lovett ... we're all keen and ready to go."
The All Stars will be hosted by Rumbalara Football/Netball Club. They are in Shepparton due to Young from VAYSAR, the Victorian Aboriginal Youth Sport and Recreation organisation which is the peak body for Indigenous sport in Victoria.
Win or lose this weekend, Hocking said the honour to represent Australia is not lost on the entire squad.
"It's an honour to not only represent your State but a huge honour to represent the whole of Australia," he said. "We're playing for all the communities all over Australia.
"It's rare that we can get together like this but we will all take pride in the jumper."
Aboriginal All Stars at the 2008 ACFC in Shepparton, Victoria:
Adam Jennings (East Point Football Club, Ballarat Football League), Adrian Wilson (Kilburn, SA Amatuer FL), Andrew Craig (Eastern Hawks, Riverina FL), Ben Stokes, Chris Calyun, Darren Turner (Rumbalara, Murray FL), David Love (Ainslie, NSW/ACT- AFL), Derek Newchurch (Callington, Adelaide Hills FL), Eddie Whyman, John Jackson, Joshua Smith (Wentworth, Sunraysia FL), Mark Mueller (Ardrossan, York Peninsula FL), Matthew Hooker (Turvey Park, Riverina FL), Ricky O'Loughlin (Virginia, Adelaide Plains FL), Rodney Craig (St George Crows, Sydney Premier Division), Shannon Goldsmith, Trevor Harradine, Troy Lovett (Heywood, Western Border FL), Alex Stengle, Braydon Williams, Cory Wanganeen, Rex Taylor, Roland Atkinson.
* Visit VAYSAR at
www.vaysar.com/DARREN MONCRIEFF
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Friday, July 25, 2008
Last Modified on 30/07/2008 23:07