Organisation created to facilitate growth in numbersA NEW independent football body in New South Wales -- the NSW/ACT Indigenous Australian Football Association -- has been formed as a resource for Indigenous players in Australia's most populous State.
The NAIAFA is the brainchild of Hewitt Whyman. The fledgling organisation brings together a handful of Indigenous former footballers who have played in NSW and the ACT with the goal of promoting footy there.
Also behind the organisation, Rodney Craig, from Wagga Wagga in the Riverina region of southern NSW, said one of the key aims of the organisation is to help strengthen Indigenous footy in NSW and the ACT with the view to performing well at interstate carnivals. Historically, the State and Territory combine for interstate carnivals but it often fares poorly.
"Primarily, (the NAIAFA) will be used as a database of Indigenous players in NSW and the ACT, hopefully to also keep everyone in the loop in regards to what's happening in footy," Craig said. "The sport is growing in NSW so we want to facilitate that in the Indigenous community."
Traditionally, most NSW and ACT footballers have come from the Riverina, which straddles the NSW-Victorian border. The most famous of these in the modern era have been Wayne Carey, James Hird, Alex Jesaulenko and Paul Kelly but Indigenous AFL footballers have been few and far between. One, former Sydney player Jamie Lawson, hails from Wentworth. He played 61 AFL games for the Swans in the 1990s.
In April, nine Aboriginal boys from the State and Territory played at the Zone trials. While the role of fostering potential NSW and ACT AFL talent is not NAIAFA's, Craig said the organisation could play a key role along the way.
"As we grow and have enough funds, we hope to have enough contacts and resources to maybe somehow help out kids in the regional areas with selection trials and accommodation in the city," Craig said. "Most of us (behind NAIAFA) are in our late 20s and we were worried that the game might fall by the wayside once we've finished playing."
Craig moved from Wagga several years ago where he played with Cootamundra. Nowadays, on weekends he dons the red and white of St George in the AFL Sydney competition. He has captained the NSW/ACT side at previous carnivals and wants to see his rep team taste some glory.
"When there's carnivals on we will be able to see from our database who's playing the game and whether they can represent NSW/ACT," he said. "By the end of this year we want to form a committee to show people that we are fair dinkum."
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Darren@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Friday, May 15, 2009
Last Modified on 01/06/2009 02:25