GAME DAY
AFLW: Match Day information V Brisbane Lions

Tell us about your cultural background/who your mob is.
My dad’s side is Indigenous from the Pilbara region in WA’s north. Dad is from Port Headland and our tribe is the Yindjibarndi tribe. We have a very big family up there, but I do have some uncles and aunties living here in Perth and I also have two older sisters, one who is also here. We have got a very strong connection with the region up north.
We moved to Perth with my mum and to be honest with you, growing up I didn’t know a lot about my culture. I learnt a bit through visiting my uncles and aunties when we could, but I have learnt more about the Indigenous culture in general as I get older and understand it better. Especially through the club, I’ve started to understand more in the last five years about our culture and what it means to be Indigenous.

Why is having an AFLW Indigenous Round important for you and your community?
It’s so special to be able to play in the AFL Women’s Indigenous Round, not only for this club but to play it at Fremantle Oval in a home game. We get the opportunity to go out there, and, while we play every game with fire in our belly, it just adds a bit more of that special bond amongst the girls. To have that younger generation look up to us as leaders and to be able to represent not only our culture but the young Indigenous kids growing up, both young boys and young girls who one day want to represent our club or any other football club is incredible. It’s so nice to see the excitement in their faces on the day and to share that special bond that we have at the club.
To be able to run out there and on the back of our shirt have our tribe name written across it, it just means so much and I will wear that jumper with pride on the weekend.
Two seasons ago we started doing our club Smoking Ceremony with Uncle Richard Walley and Aunty Colleen Hayward. Prior to that, I hadn’t done anything like that, especially in a sporting sense. Just seeing how connected we all are and the way it all brings us together to create this special bond is amazing. We are able to share those moments down at Fremantle Oval where we play and it’s incredible to just understand what that does for our community. We all might be from different cultures but it all brings us together and we are all united as one.

Who has been one of your biggest supporters and or Indigenous role models in your life?
My Uncle Norm has a lot of knowledge regarding our history and culture and my family line, especially on my grandmother Clara Coffin and my grandfather in Lenny Houghton. I’m very fortunate to be able to understand and learn more about the stuff that happened before us as children were brought into the world. He helps me every day in learning all about our history. I’ve got a book about the Yindjibarndi language (I need to give it back to him actually because I’ve had it for a very long time!) that talks about the culture and the language and learning about the history of everything that has led to who I am and the person I am today.

INDIGENOUS PROFILES

Freo's Indigenous round clash against Brisbane is proudly supported by the club’s Indigenous Program Partner, and co-major partner, Woodside. As part of this partnership Woodside works with the club on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander initiatives such as activities at this weekend’s game and also consults with the club on the development and execution of its Reconciliation Action Plan.

To view the Fremantle Dockers Reconciliation Action Plan click here.