MCG curtain-raiser, St Kilda visit, meeting AFL playersDEVELOPING life skills with football the vehicle is the key aim of the AFL's KickStart camp, which for for 50 Indigenous boys aged 14 and 15 begins in Melbourne tomorrow.
The boys were selected from across Australia to attend the five-day camp.
The squad will visit St Kilda Football Club, undergo AIS-AFL high performance testing and, perhaps the biggest thrill of all, play the curtain-raiser to the Round 21 Richmond-Hawthorn match on the MCG on Saturday.
AFL Foundation CEO and Indigenous programs manager Jason Mifsud said the camp was more than just about footy; that it is tailored to offer Indigenous youth an experience incorporating leadership, cultural awareness and football development.
"The Qantas AFL KickStart camp provides life skills that go beyond the football field. The five days will provide fantastic opportunities such as meeting Qantas Ambassador Cathy Freeman and current Indigenous AFL players," Mifsud said. "To see the AFL culture first-hand and to hear from Indigenous leaders is a fantastic opportunity."
The AFL KickStart program uses Australian football as a vehicle to promote healthy lifestyles in Indigenous communities. The program works with State governments to tailor messages for different regions and communities.
The 50 boys at the Kickstart camp (plus ages and where they're from)VictoriaCorey Attkinson-Harlen 15 (Kyabram), Grover Ferguson 15 (Warrnambool), Isaiah Johnson 14 (Robinvale), Haydn Love 15 (Preston), Roger Morris 15 (Heywood), Jesse Rotumah-Gardiner 15 (Dandenong), Dion Williams 14 (Echuca), Josh Wilson 15 (Shepparton)
Northern TerritoryXavier Darcy 15 (Maningrida), Cornelius Roy 15 (Maningrida), Braedon McLean 14 (Leanyer, Darwin), Sylvester Marrputju 15 (Milingimbi), Samuel Autio 15 (Driver, Darwin), Roy Assan 15 (Katherine), Keenan Fejo (Katherine), Sebastian Wanabi (Gove), Murray Mirika (Gove), Jake Neade (Alice Springs)
Western AustraliaAndrew Moody 15 (Northam), Jayden Crowe 15 (Geraldton), Jayden D'Vauz 14 (Armadale, Perth), David Garlett 15 (Karratha), Baron Kelly 15 (Pinjarra), Edward McGinty 15 (Halls Creek), Jack Martin 14 (Broome), Brian Clinch 15 (Esperance), Christopher Warrell 15 (Nollamara), Ian Garlett 14 (Merriwa)
QueenslandCameron Hooker 15 (Wujal Wujal community), Patrick Nandy 15 (Wujal Wujal community), George Freeman 15 (Ipswich Grammar), Shaquille Nixon 14 (Ipswich Grammar, from Weipa), Aquila Gela 15 (Weipa), Jacob Bob 15 (Bungalow, Cairns), Jermaine Wardle 14 (Mount Sheridan, Cairns)
NSW/ACTKial Crowe 15 (Finley, Albury), Elijah Edwards 14 (Surf Beach), Lonnie Hampton 15 (Thurgoona, Albury), Nathan Kickett 15 (Broken Hill), Alex Stack 15 (Taree)
TasmaniaBrodie Deverell 14 (Beulah), Brady Grey 14 (Burnie)
South AustraliaTerrance Curley (Fregon), Jahmarl Witchen 15 (Iduilkana), Daryl Collinson 15 (Reynella), Clayton Lewis 14 (Port Lincoln), Brandon Rigney 15 (Craigmore), Braden Allen 15 (Port Augusta), Garry Warren 15 (Port Augusta), Jake Harris 15 (Goolwa).
DARREN MONCRIEFF
Darren@AboriginalFootball.com.au
Monday, August 17, 2009
Last Modified on 17/08/2009 21:35