http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/so-hard-to-move-to-the-big-city/story-e6frf9jf-1225869799313

i think we are looking after our young indigenouse players quite well now

That is quite a sad, and true, story. A high school chum of mine plays at Essendon (won't name names) and probably three years ago he mentioned how distant the Indigenous players were from the rest of the group on a social scale. I guess that's a sign of being out of a comfort zone, and just being around people who are going through the same thing as you. A lot of people don't quite understand how different places like Melbourne are to remote towns in the NT and West. There aren't many Aborigines in Melbourne, and clubs definitely need people around to ensure that the players adapt well. We can only assume that the club is doing a good job with it. I've always been cautious of a player like Jurrah, who, I think, would have been through quite a difficult patch when he came down here initially. Once upon a time, clubs just cared about the skills have a player, and didn't really care about what they did outside the club or how they were adapting to life. Now, clubs encourage studying, part-time jobs, and do a lot of things together as a group to improve social bonding (going to the movies as a team, for example). Team dynamics are very important also.

Like you said, I think the team has done a great job with our Indigenous players. We've thankfully got a player like Davey who is the leader, and he's got an amazing head on his shoulders. Players like him and Whelan really helped create a comfortable environment for players like Jurrah and Wonna.

I remember how much Sean Charles struggled......

I remember how excited I was when we picked up 'Chis'. I loved the way he played, that all out run, the flair.. He was a man a ahead of his time. But sadly for 'Chis' that run at all costs flair turned into headless chook running around turn over footy. I remember how angry my old man would get with him..... aaahhh good times.

Hopefully his experience can help other people in the future.

Interesting article.

A lot of marginal players look back on their career with a biased view but the fact is that Scott got dumped by 2 clubs because he was not good enough.

He could get the ball ok but when he did instead of taking the first option he held on to the ball too long & was either caught or turned it over.

Ahh, Scotty Chisolm. Always freaked me out when he went near the footy. Had some skills, but made decisions like a drunken sailor!

This was a strange article and although I understand and agree with the key message about it being hard for some of the indigenous boys to move to the city it was weird to focus on Scotty Chisolm. I knew Scotty through mates of mine that went to school with him here in Melbourne and played footy with him. He then moved up with family to Darwin when he left school, played for St Mary's and the rest is history.

I'm not sure why he would've found it too hard to adapt to Melbourne having spent a big chunk of his youth here and still keeping in contact with plenty of his mates around Sandown, Mulgrave area when he was at MFC.

How is it that he could have been part of the North Melbourne Premiership in 1996?

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/so-hard-to-move-to-the-big-city/story-e6frf9jf-1225869799313

i think we are looking after our young indigenouse players quite well now

I'd like to think we are leading the way! Certainly the mentoring roles played by 'Wheels" and Arron have been very, very important, and I also think the work we are doing in the indigenous communities will prove very important now and in the long-term (ie. win/win for the communities and the MFC))

Edited May 26, 201015 yr by Deeoldfart

That is quite a sad, and true, story. A high school chum of mine plays at Essendon (won't name names) and probably three years ago he mentioned how distant the Indigenous players were from the rest of the group on a social scale. I guess that's a sign of being out of a comfort zone, and just being around people who are going through the same thing as you. A lot of people don't quite understand how different places like Melbourne are to remote towns in the NT and West. There aren't many Aborigines in Melbourne, and clubs definitely need people around to ensure that the players adapt well. We can only assume that the club is doing a good job with it. I've always been cautious of a player like Jurrah, who, I think, would have been through quite a difficult patch when he came down here initially. Once upon a time, clubs just cared about the skills have a player, and didn't really care about what they did outside the club or how they were adapting to life. Now, clubs encourage studying, part-time jobs, and do a lot of things together as a group to improve social bonding (going to the movies as a team, for example). Team dynamics are very important also.

Like you said, I think the team has done a great job with our Indigenous players. We've thankfully got a player like Davey who is the leader, and he's got an amazing head on his shoulders. Players like him and Whelan really helped create a comfortable environment for players like Jurrah and Wonna.

Is Matty Whelan still involved with the Club with Mentoring or has he moved on to clear his head for a while??

We need people like "wheels" around the club in some capacity.

Is Matty Whelan still involved with the Club with Mentoring or has he moved on to clear his head for a while??

We need people like "wheels" around the club in some capacity.

plays at pines footy club.. so is still living in melbourne

plays at pines footy club.. so is still living in melbourne

Thats good to hear, so he is only a phone call away for some of our young boys if needed.

I have been up to the kimberleys & travelled around, & even i got really freaked out for a while when i came back to the city.

It is SO different up there, unless you have done it, you just cannot understand it.

Those indigenous boys must have been so proud to get a win up there-Relatives would have travelled for days in some cases to watch that game.