DESERT SPIRIT CUP

Ms BREUER (Giles) (14:58): My question is to the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation. What was the significance of the Desert Spirit Cup held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday 31 May? At the previous weekend's match at AAMI Stadium, the mighty Crows won against Carlton, followed by another magnificent win this weekend.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Point of order, Mr Speaker. That question is clearly out of order.

The SPEAKER: No, the question is in order, including the comments.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Environment and Conservation, Minister for Early Childhood Development, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister Assisting the Premier in Cabinet Business and Public Sector Management) (14:59): I thank the honourable member for her question, but I had anticipated that it would be asked in a slightly different form. Football means a lot to many of us, although at about three-quarter time in Melbourne on Sunday, it was beginning to lose a lot of its flavour for me. However, it occupies a very important place in the lives of people in remote Aboriginal communities; it is very much a part of their social structure. It is a key aspect for many communities in their strategies to deal with social and health issues, including substance abuse, domestic violence and chronic health issues, not to mention boredom, which is a big issue in remote communities.

For a number of years now the SANFL, with the assistance of the Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing, has been supporting an indigenous game between APY Thunder and Maralinga Eagles as a curtain-raiser to an AFL match at Football Park. This Saturday, before the last Maralinga and APY teams met again at Football Park, there was much more at stake than just the outcome of that game because the players were playing for the opportunity—12 from each of the sides—to be part of a composite team of Anangu called the Anangu All Stars who would fight for the Desert Spirit Cup.

On Sunday afternoon I was very privileged to watch two teams of young men from two remote Aboriginal communities battle it out. The Yuendemu Magpies were representing and playing in the Magpies strip and the Anangu All Stars played in the Port Power strip. It was an incredible game of football. In fact, the main game was a bit of a disappointment. I think halfway through the main game some of us thought of drafting some of the Anangu All Stars.

Nevertheless, I am proud to say that the All Stars turned out to hand out a pretty substantial beating to Yuendemu Magpies by eight goals. It was much more than just a game of football. It was incredible to see the way in which not only the Maralinga boys and the APY boys bonded during that period they had together but also to see the relationship they formed with the boys from Yuendemu. It united the communities around a team of young men.

The Anangu team was an interesting team because two police officers, a pastor and a youth worker played in it. It drew from a broad range of professions. They learnt lots of lessons. They had to be disciplined and they had to set some important goals. They were all on their very best behaviour. They are on their way back now, and I hope that remains the case.

Many of those young men are likely to be leaders of the future. Football plays an incredibly important role in that community and some of the young men who are leaders in their football teams are also likely to be leaders in their community. One of the things we all acknowledge is that the solutions for Aboriginal people are going to have to come from Aboriginal people themselves.

We know that strong leadership, especially in these remote communities, is absolutely vital. We need to find a way of finding those good young men, building a bit of self-esteem and showing them what it can be like to strive for a goal and achieve it. Playing on the MCG is an extraordinary goal. They will never forget that moment, and I will never forget the moment I had a kick with Gavin Wanganeen in the middle of the MCG.

An honourable member: How did you go?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Yes; I got one kick. It was good. That will be—

The Hon. K.O. Foley: Was it a decent kick?

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: It was a pretty ordinary kick, but I had a kick with Gavin Wanganeen on the MCG and not many people here can say that.

The Hon. K.O. Foley: I wonder whether Gavin Wanganeen is saying, 'I had a kick with Jay Weatherill.'

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: No, I don't think he is. Also, what impressed me about this is that it was a magnificent example of the corporate sector coming good. We had BHP Billiton and Tiger Airways, who were particularly pleased to see that the best player on the team was Jacob Tiger. They were pretty thrilled with that.

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That's right. No, they did not get the chance to select who was the best player but they—

The Hon. P.F. Conlon interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: That's right. So, AXA also chipped in, the state government provided some support, but the lion's share of the funding came from the private sector and that is a wonderful thing. I thank all of the officers of the Aboriginal Affairs Division. Some of the people up there travelled with the boys and made sure that that all worked.

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: They are on their way home now. They are on the plane. I hope that they manage to travel safely back to their communities.