World Footy News

In 2006, Australian Traveller voted the Bathurst Island Footy Grand Final #88 on the Top 100 list of "Things to do in Australia before you die".

I am lucky enough to have done 10 of the things on this list, the Tiwi Grand Final being one of them and personally, this would be the top for me. The Tiwi footy grand final is a real insight into indigenous Australia and its culture. The friendly and welcoming people there have an unmatched enthusiasm for footy, the islands are rich in culture, the standard of skills is extremely high and the games are played at a blistering pace. Testament to the quality of the Tiwi Islands Football League is the expansion of the semi-professional NTAFL to include the Tiwi Bombers, and the growing number of Tiwis who are finding their way into the professional AFL. This article looks at some of the good news and bads news for indigenous footy in 2008.

For the lowdown on Tiwi Footy, make sure you read this article first.

This year is particularly significant for the indigenous people of the Northern Territory with the historic moment in indigenous relations on February 13th, the official federal government and prime minister's apology to the Stolen Generation. Many of these people had found themselves being brought up on the Tiwi Islands, including the parents of famous footballers like Michael Long and Maurice Rioli. Their stories were recently profile in an article in the Age titled "The Lucky Country".

For most of us, the footy season finishes in September. In contrast, AFL Northern Territory runs several competitions throughout the territory which have been playing all summer (through the "wet season" for that part of Australia). Just as the AFL season gets set to begin, they are at the business end.

This year's TIFL Grand Final will be held on the 16th March at Nguiu Oval on Bathurst Island and contested by rival clubs seeking to break premiership droughts - Imalu Tigers and Tapalinga Superstars.

Unfortunately for the Tiwi people, their team in the Northern Territory Football League, the Tiwi Bombers, were defeated in an elimination semi-final last weekend. Their debut year was nothing short of sensational, topping the ladder for much of the first half of the NTAFL season including some big wins. However finals footy is a different story and the Bombers were accounted for easily in the final by Waratahs. The NTAFL Grand Final will now be contested at 4pm in Darwin's TIO (Marrara) Stadium between St Mary's (a club with historically strong links to the Tiwis) and Waratah and is set to be a classic match. This also means that the Tiwi Islanders once again get right behind their local footy.

In previous years, the TIFL Grand Final and most of the Northern Territory Football League season were shown nationally on ABC2 digital television which was giving many footy fans around Australia their footy fix in the off-season. The TIFL in particular was broadcast due to its cultural significance to indigenous Australia. Unfortunately, despite a large amount of protest, the ABC withdrew all national replays midway through this season. The shock announcement came after the ABC cancelled the match of the round between the Tiwi Bombers and St Mary's Football Club without notice. So for many around Australia, including a large number of Territorians living and working interstate, seeing the match live will be the only option. A further blow to indigenous Australians this year is Imparja's dumping of Network 10's coverage of the AFL season. Imparja is the indigenous broadcaster for remote central Australia and the announcement means that 125,000 people in some of the most passionate Aussie Rules communities will more than likely miss seeing the AFL Grand Final this year.

On the positive side however for the development of the game in the top end, as reported by WFN, it is looking increasingly likely that a Northern Territory side will be represented in a state league comp in the near future, though it is still undecided whether the proposed team would be based in Darwin or Alice Springs. Also, in late 2007, a great DVD titled "Aboriginal Rules" was released, which highlights the importance of the game to the indigenous peoples of outback Australia and the Northern Territory. The video includes a great documentary titled "Japu Japu". An excerpt from Japu Japu can be viewed on Youtube. A team warm up from a Tiwi Grand Final can also be viewed on Youtube.

The Northern Territory AFL is offering a great Tiwi Island Grand Final package which also includes the Northern Territory Football League Grand Final in Darwin's TIO Stadium (Marrara Oval) on the 15th March. Both finals will be packed with atmosphere and guarantee to pull vocal crowds of at least 3,000 Territorians. A bonus to visitors of the Tiwi Grand Final on Bathurst Island is the launch of a 256 page photographic book called Tiwi Footy - Yiloga, featuring 40 years worth of images, a copy of which each visitor will be able to bring home. A brochure for the package can be found here (please note bookings may have already closed).