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Indigenous AFL numbers fall, but talent is thriving in Australia’s Top End
🇦🇺 Australia /Sports

Indigenous AFL numbers fall, but talent is thriving in Australia’s Top End

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • The number of Indigenous players has fallen to 22 in the AFLW and 62 in the men’s competition, renewing attention on development pathways and cultural safety.
  • More than 4,000 people watched Richmond defeat Essendon in the Dreamtime match at Darwin’s Marrara Stadium.
  • Coaches and players said the match and Indigenous Round give young Northern Territory players visible role models and a stronger connection to elite football.

The talent is already visible in Australia’s Northern Territory. The harder task, according to Hawthorn’s Kaitlyn Ashmore, is helping young players reach development programs and remain in environments where they feel culturally safe.

I've been out to the communities … the talent up there is incredible.

— Kaitlyn AshmoreThe Hawthorn player described the football ability she saw in Northern Territory communities.

Ashmore, a Dja Dja Wurrung woman, visited Alice Springs several years ago and was struck by the football ability among local children. She later supported the Dreamtime Academy, founded by AFLW player Lulu Pullar with First Nations players Courtney Hodder and Ally Anderson. The initiative aims to strengthen pathways for talent in the region.

The numbers have moved in the opposite direction. Twenty-two Indigenous players are listed across the AFLW this season, down from 26 in 2023. In the men’s competition, the total has fallen from 87 in 2020 to 62 this season. Ashmore said Indigenous Round provides representation and helps celebrate Indigenous people, culture and stories.

But it's just getting them down here, or getting them in a program, and then keeping them in there and making them feel culturally safe.

— Kaitlyn AshmoreAshmore identified the main barriers facing talented Indigenous players.

More than 4,000 spectators watched Richmond beat Essendon at Marrara Stadium in Darwin. The crowd included committed Tigers and Bombers supporters as well as people attending an AFL match for the first time. Last year’s marquee Indigenous Round game drew almost 6,000 people, although this year’s fixture competed with a busy football schedule and a Sunday evening time slot.

It's honestly representation.

— Kaitlyn AshmoreAshmore explained why Indigenous Round matters to young players.

The match also gave local children a chance to see a possible future in the sport. Top End Youth Academy coach Ben White said children who once struggled to name an AFLW player now cited figures such as Monique Conti and Zippy Fish. Recent Northern Territory additions Annabel Kievit and Dom Carbone have added to that sense of a pathway. Essendon captain Bonnie Toogood said seeing Indigenous children in the stands was one of the most pleasing parts of the team’s visit.

We've got those figureheads of the AFLW that girls can look up to and see that pathway. It's amazing.

— Ben WhiteThe Top End Youth Academy coach described the effect of visible AFLW role models.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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