World Footy News

Two 4WD troop carriers will be negotiating narrow bush tracks and river crossings, dust trailing behind the vehicles, as they travel seven hours across Arnhem Land from Maningrida to Nhulunbuy. They hope to pick up some extra players as they travel through the community of Ramingining.

At the same time, a squadron of five light planes will leave Galiwinku, flying across the waters of Buckingham Bay and the Gove Peninsula. They will probably look out of the plane window at the dust cloud formed by the vehicles coming in from Gapuwiyak, headed for the same destination.

Another collection of charter aircraft will be leaving Groote Eylandt to meet the others, as well as local teams in the Gove AFL. Yirrkala, Gunyangara and Gove teams should already be there.

Such a movement of people and vehicles begs the question. What’s going on?

On the weekend of 22 and 23 June, Nhulunbuy (Gove) will be hosting the East Arnhem Football Carnival. The mass movement of players and fans across the land and waters of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, is headed for a huge Australian Rules football carnival in one of Australia’s more remote regions.

According to Kevin Bruce, Indigenous Programs Manager for AFLNT, “Basically for the East Arnhem Carnival it is a senior [competition] between Maningrida, Groote Eylandt, Elcho Island, Gapuwiyak and teams from the Gove region. This is the first time a senior carnival for the region has been run as it is very difficult and expensive to coordinate.”

This is certainly an enormous undertaking. The logistics already mentioned are almost mind-boggling, especially if you know the area. The costs, however, are also enormous. Kevin adds, “Galiwinku are catching charter planes which costs approximately $10,000. The flight time is only around 20 minutes. Groote Eylandt [are using] charter planes one way and then the standard flight to return. Flight costs alone are in excess of $15,000 and it is a 30 minute flight.”

And all of this for a footy carnival?

Kevin continues, “All teams are extremely excited about the carnival, running into family and even for the first time recognising which league is the strongest.”

Bernie Price, Regional Development manager for the AFLNT in Maningrida echoes that statement. “It is shaping to be a fantastic event and one that would create much interest from the broader community.”

It is certainly an exciting concept for Australian Rules football, and one that would be good for more AFL clubs to support in some way for the future. As the huge cost will most likely be met through grants, sponsorship, goodwill and other AFLNT, AFL Gove and local funding, it is hoped the event can afford to be run on an annual basis. Certainly the support of key national teams or players/personalities would raise the profile of the carnival, and the game as a whole within the region.

Geelong has already started that ball rolling, as stated by Kevin Bruce. “Geelong FC will be supporting the event with best player awards. Only early last week a group of six, which included ex Cat David Wojcinski, travelled through Groote, Gapuwiyak and Gove as part of their commitment to the region via the AFL Partnership program. They will also come back through in October (at season’s end) with some of the current playing group.”

Earlier this year, Kevin Sheedy paid a visit to Elcho Island (see link below), and the Essendon AFL club from Victoria sent their players north during the pre-season to visit communities and work with the kids in Wadeye and the Tiwi Islands. Maybe the same could occur in coming years to promote this event in the East Arnhem region further. Time will tell.

Until then, we have a fantastic football carnival coming up that will be entertaining, exciting, exhilarating, enterprising and electrifying. For more information contact Kevin Bruce at kevin.bruce@aflnt.com.au or the AFLNT in Darwin through their own website.

More information about some of these Australian Rules loving communities can also be found at the following links to other World Footy News stories:

Groote Eylandt Football – Brave New Worlds

Galiwinku – An “Island Home” to Aussie Rules Footy

Maningrida Footy – not international but still a world away (but getting closer)

Sheedy headed for Elcho Island