AFL Foundation head Jason Mifsud is a leader among men and last week he was recognised for his work in providing opportunities to young men in Indigenous and disadvantaged backgrounds through football, education and training programs.
Mifsud, a one-time St Kilda draftee, was last week recognised by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd as one of Australia's top 10 emerging leaders. He won the sporting category award of the Next 100 Emerging Leaders from a field including champion Australian netballer Liz Ellis and Australian Test cricketer Michael Clarke.
"We're just in a fortunate position where we're involved in a game that we all love and we're delivering outcomes for the broader community, not just the competition," Mifsud said of his work.
Mifsud was in charge of the Flying Boomerangs team that played a series of games against national teams in Papua New Guinea in February. It is this and other football-related programs which can empower young men in life away from football. He was also heavily involved with the AFL's Indigenous All-Stars team which played Adelaide in Darwin in February. Last month, he found the time to lead his countrymen with the Brambuk Eels to defeat Tiwi Islanders Imalu in the curtain-raiser to the Richmond-Essendon Dreamtime at the 'G match.
"We focus on the upside, and the opportunity," Mifsud said of his work. "Australian football always talks about the positive engagement of indigenous Australia and highlights the creativity, skill, flair, etcetera, that the Indigenous community brings, especially on the field, but certainly off the field as well, in our employment space.
"That's a lot of the conversation we have with the young people we're engaged with. It's more about what's in front of them, not necessarily what's behind them."
In a purely football context, Mifsud's leadership credentials were on show during the Hampden league's 2003 Grand Final at Warrnambool in country Victoria.
Mifsud's Koroit, of which he was player-coach, were down by eight goals to Camperdown and were looking at a thrashing. But Mifsud inspired his troops in word and deed. He delivered a rousing half-time address and booted seven second-half goals to help win the Saints their first flag in 30 years.
Mifsud later joined St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs in assistant coaches roles before joining the AFL.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Darren@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Last Modified on 23/06/2009 00:36