DARREN MONCRIEFF
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
IMAGINE for a moment an AFL without Indigenous footballers. Yes, unthinkable.
That uneasy scenario was put forward by the author of a new book released this week.
Academic Sean Gorman has completed two years of football research and the result is Legends: The AFL Indigenous Team of the Century.
It is a collection of mini-biographies of each of the 24 players, plus umpire Glenn James, in the 100-year team selected in 2005. Among the players featured are Graham Farmer, Byron Pickett, Michael Graham, Norm McDonald, Darryl White, Ted Kilmurray, to name a few.
Gorman's hypothetical was put to the large turnout at the launch of the new book in Melbourne on Monday.
His question was to highlight just how much of a contribution Indigenous footballers have made to the game, and how much the game, and its followers, would be all the poorer for it if there were none.
A comparison with cricket is an apt one, as Gorman explains.
"When we think of Test cricket with Indigenous people, we think of Jason Gillespie ... and that's it," Gorman said.
"Those are the challenges Cricket Australia has, retaining these players. So the idea was to get people to imagine football without Indigenous players."
Gorman made the point about Sydney Swans champion, and dual Brownlow medallist, Adam Goodes, whose young days were spent dreaming about playing at Wembley Stadium and on the soccer pitch.
"Adam Goodes grew up playing soccer," he said.
"When he moved with his family from South Australia to Horsham (in country Victoria), he had the choice to play soccer against grown Italian men, or football across the road with kids his age.
"Now he is the most consistent player with the Swans."
Gorman reveals even the great Michael Long found life hard at Essendon in the middle of the race row he found himself in in the middle of 1995, which later led to the implementation of the AFL's Racial and Religious Vilification policy.
"Michael Long, when the whole racial vilification laws kicked in, he said even some of his own team-mates found it difficult to talk about those things. But he had to stay focused; he was copping tension from within his own club," Gorman said.
Gorman, whose previous book was Brotherboys: The Story of Jim and Phil Krakouer, which has been adapted to the stage, said a common thread from each of the 25 stories was of connection to family.
"The big one was of importance and connection to family and mob; that was very strong," Gorman said.
"One of the big limitations for some players not to have gone on to the next level was not being able to leave their families, their communities.
"For those that did follow their dream it was on a day-to-day basis until they were comfortable at their clubs because some were a long way from home.
"And you talk with the players and issues around Stolen Generations comes up. Adam Goodes and other players still talk about that and how it has impacted around their families.
"So it's not all about their football; it's about their lives behind their football."
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Last Modified on 17/08/2011 22:04