'All we want is to play footy': Naiyu Hawks
ALL that Jack Daly wants for his community is a regular footy competition, but transport issues means that his team, the Naiyu Hawks, and his countryman's Green River Saints, can only play a handful of games throughout the year.
Daly, from the Daly River community, some 300km south-west of Darwin in the Northern Territory, makes the trek across a gravel road and up the Stuart Highway to the big city each weekend to turn out for Southern Districts in the NTFL. But he also wants to play regular footy with his people during the 'dry' season. Due to the terrain, isolation, finance and transport issues, however, that hasn't been possible.
The Hawks and Saints are two of a cluster of community teams in the western part of the NT but the only time they get to play anything of significance is at large festivals. What they crave is a proper season.
"We (Hawks and Saints) play against each other every now and then and Emu Point (Eagles) come over for a game and some of us (players) play in the NTFL, but if we had our own competition, it would be better," Daly said, taking time out from painting a building at the community yesterday. "We want to try and get a regular competition going but transport is still the main issue."
AFL Northern Territory's community development manager Jack Arnold said the league is in the process of organising a formal competition in the area, but that the process will take some time.
"We have staff currently working on a senior competition for the area, based at Wadeye, but transport is the key," he said. "It's a slow process; for every step forward, there's like three steps back. During the 'wet' it's impossible so a 'dry' season competition is the way to go."
Wadeye (Port Keats) has several teams -- about five or six -- and it is the largest community in the area. Daly said that the Hawks and Saints could join them, along with Peppimenarti's Bulldogs and the Eagles, to make a decent league. The distance from Wadeye is about 100km; more from the other communities.
The Daly River community's oval had lights installed just a few months ago and night footy could be an option, said Daly.
"We tried to join them (Wadeye competition) last year but nothing sort of happened about it," Daly said. "It would be a bit of a challenge for their comp if we joined and it would add something to the footy there and here and it would be big if they came here and played us."
In the meantime, Daly will be ready to make the trek to Darwin this weekend for Districts' next clash, versus Palmerston at Freds Pass.
* In the photo above --
Back row, from left: Reggie Gilbert, Lincoln Martin, Harrison Daniels, Phillip 'Rambo' Morgan, Ryan Daly, Karl Talbot, Phillip Warloo, Barak Jnr, Cliff Jimarin, Frank Marrar, Jack Daly, Nathan McGregor.
Middle row, from left: Lesley Jimarin, Paul Minggun, Francis Vigona, Christopher 'Jnr' Miler, Jack Bourke, Stewart Brookes.
Front row, from left: Leroy Daly, Xavier Miller, Desmond Daly, Chad Miler, John Miller, Jojo Bourke, Hayden Long.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Info@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Friday, January 9, 2009
Last Modified on 09/01/2009 16:35