'Pies, Power invite community teams for curtain-raiserCOLLINGWOOD coterie group the Industrial Magpies may have been somewhat disappointed that the AFL club missed out on Yuendumu's Liam Jurrah at last year's rookie draft but that hasn't slowed them in fulfilling their charter, which will have a tangible outcome at the MCG at the MCG tomorrow.
Collingwood and Port Adelaide will host a curtain-raiser to their match at the MCG. It will feature two central Australian Aboriginal football teams from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands and Yuendumu. They will play for the inaugural Desert Spirit Cup.
The match is the brainchild of the Industrial Magpies which had built up extensive links at Yuendumu long before Jurrah was considered AFL potential. The group's chairman is Federal Industrial Relations Commissioner John Lewin.
Yuendumu, part of the AFL Central Australia competition, have been supported by Collingwood since 2003. Their opponents on Sunday are a combined team from the APY/Maralinga Tjarutja Lands that was selected following their Indigenous Lands Challenge Cup match last Saturday at AAMI Stadium, played in Indigenous Round as the curtain-raiser to the Adelaide-Carlton match.
Port Adelaide has an AFL Fostership arrangement with the Maralinga Tjarutja Lands, centred around the Oak Valley Community and Yalata. Oak Valley, a remote Aboriginal community located on the southern edge of the Great Victoria Desert, is more than 500km northwest of Ceduna.
Collingwood Football Club president Eddie McGuire praised the work of the coterie group in helping to bring the community teams together.
"We are thrilled to be able to host this match and to see a great deal of hard work from many people come to fruition. I would like to congratulate all the parties involved and in particular the Industrial Magpies who have been at the forefront of our Indigenous programs for many years," he said.
"Football clubs play a vital role in remote communities such as Yuendumu, as they bring together people from the surrounding regions and promote positive social behaviours and disciplines. This match and the programs that support it will have a very positive impact on the communities involved. Go the Yuendumu Magpies!"
The Desert Spirit Cup will start at 1.30pm on Sunday at the MCG with the teams playing in four 15-minute quarters. Both teams will watch Collingwood train this morning (10:30am) and will also take part in a special training session hosted by Collingwood coaching staff.
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Darren@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Last Modified on 30/05/2009 00:41