By Callum Ludwig
Warburton-Millgrove Football Netball Club is set to host local rivals Powelltown Football Netball Club in their first Indigenous Match in Round 15 on Saturday 23 July at A.T Mac Sparke Oval in Warburton.
The event is supported by First Nations Traffic Management, a traffic management company aligned with Frist Traffic Management co-founded by former St Kilda and AFL legend Nicky Winmar which has been employing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in construction careers on major projects throughout Victoria.
Warburton-Millgrove Vice Captain, member of the Yarra Ranges Council’s Indigenous Development team and proud Taungurung man Nelson Aldridge said a number of special guests will be attending.
“We’ve organised a welcome by Auntie Joy Wandin, a didgeridoo performance and smoking ceremony and artwork done by Cindy Mills, which will be on the Warburton-Millgrove football jumpers and netball dresses,” he said.
“Noongar woman Courtney Ugle who plays for and is an ex-captain of the Essendon Football Club’s AFLW side will be the guest speaker on the day and will perform the coin toss, and I believe Nicky Winmar is also making a guest appearance, having once played for the club.”
Mr Winmar did play for Warburton in the early 2000s after winding up his AFL career, even winning a premiership with the club in 2000.
Mr Aldridge said the event looks to build upon previous smaller Indigenous Rounds held in the Outer East football Netball league over the years.
“When I was younger at Healesville, we did a few Indigenous rounds and it was starting to gain some momentum, so I wanted to do something in Warburton with the significant Indigenous community there,” he said.
“I’ve felt really supported by the club, especially in the committee we’ve got made up of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome. Then when we put the merch out a couple of weeks ago, everyone was putting their hand up to buy a hoodie and t-shirt and it was a really great feeling.”
Powelltown’s jumpers and dresses have been designed by their very own Teghan Voce. A sponsors lunch will also feature on the day. The 50m arcs and the centre circle will be painted in the colours of the Indigenous flag and umpires and other officials will receive their own marngrook ball, from the traditional Indigenous game which inspired the creation of AFL.
Mr Aldridge said he believes sport is a great way to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous people together, and a great way to encourage reconciliation.
“Considering the game of AFL itself was inspired by the traditional game Marngrook, I think it’s a great way to have that reconciliation, and it has always been great to see Indigenous people get out there [on the sporting field] having a go and showcasing their ability,” he said.
“I look at reconciliation as if it were a lake. For years we’ve always people have always gone around the lake or the being too afraid to overstep the boundaries or ask a question but it’s really good to see people now starting to dip their toes in the lake, and immerse themselves in indigenous culture because we’re all part of the story of reconciliation.”
Mr Aldridge has been heavily involved with National Reconciliation week over the past two years, conducting interviews with Adam Goodes and Paul Roos to discuss reconciliation and the famous ‘Bloods Culture’ in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
Mr Aldridge said he hopes the day continues to grow, in a similar vein to the Pride cup hosted between Yarra Glen and Belgrave each season.
“Reconciliation really is about coming together, it’s the acknowledging of the past and to work together in the present to move into the future and progress as one nation,” he said.
“Going into the future, we’ve seen the Pride Cup and how that’s grown over the years in stature and something like that would be ideal, and we will keep on working to slowly make it bigger and bigger each year. I’m really proud that the club has said it is happy to do this and to take this on board.”
