IT'S A SMALL step but a significant one the more than 100 Nunga youth took at Alberton Oval in Port Adelaide last week.
The youngsters laid the groundwork for others to build on in the inaugural Aboriginal Power Cup, a football carnival whose future rests on their young shoulders.
Twelve teams of boys and girls (six of each) from across South Australia took part in the two-day event in Adelaide, culminating in a curtain-raiser to the AFL Port Adelaide v Collingwood game at AMI Stadium.
Ownership of the concept, which picks up on key recommendations from David Cappo’s report To Break the Cycle, was handed to the youngsters where it is their responsibility to basically lay the ground rules from how the event would be run, engaging local media to promote the event, to the designs of their own guernseys.
Schools involved included Para West Adult Campus, Kaurna Plains, John Pirie Secondary School, Ceduna Area School, Port Lincoln High and the Wiltja Program which consists of students mainly from the APY Lands attending Woodville High School in Adelaide.
The Aboriginal Power Cup is backed by the SA State Government, the AFL's Port Adelaide Football Club, the South Australian Aboriginal Sports Training Academy and the SANFL.
The model for the footy program is based on a successful project in the United Kingdom where soccer club, Charlton Athletic, tackles youth crime in south-east London through sport.
The boys and girls grand final, played before the Port Adelaide-Collingwood match last Friday night, saw the Para West teams win; the boys side by a convincing margin over Ceduna, 11.12 (78) to 3.2 (20), and the girls side over the John Pirie school team, 9.3 (67) to 3.2 (20).
According to Jack Johncock, Indigenous sports development officer for the (SA) West Coast, the carnival would be a step ahead for local youth.
"There's a hell of a lot of talent on the West Coast -- as we know. It's just a matter of some of these kids getting serious about reaching their full potential," he told the West Coast Sentinal. "It's a lot of hard work and families have got to put in a supporting role, whatever the sport is.
"We've set up a good close relationship with Power and coaching staff, and it's great Power's put their hand up because of the affiliation with local boys playing with them."
Port Adelaide club president Greg Boulton told
PortAdleaideFC.com.au the Aboriginal Power Cup was another opportunity for the Power to contribute to the community in a positive way.
"The Port Adelaide Football Club has had a long and proud involvement with the Aboriginal community," Boulton said. "Not just in terms of the success of our Indigenous champions like Gavin Wanganeen and the Burgoynes (Peter and Shaun), but also through the work we’ve done in our community youth program and Planet Teal.
"The Aboriginal Power Cup is already an absolute credit to everyone involved. From the strong backing of the State Government to the 100 volunteers who have contributed, there is every indication it will have a very positive effect on the lives of these young people."
The SA State Government has committed $200,000 over the next two years for the Aboriginal Power Cup.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Last Modified on 21/08/2008 01:15