INDIGINE - THE POSTSCRIPT by Whispering Jack

The recruitment of young indigenous footballer Dominic Barry as part of the deal that brought seventeen year old future star Jesse Hogan to the Melbourne Football Club might appear to some as a mere postscript to a piece of complex trading but, to me, it comes as a revelation.

In many ways, Barry's story echoes that of Hawthorn star Cyril Rioli who left his native Northern Territory as a fourteen year old and came to Victoria to study and to play sport. Barry ended up at St. Pats College Ballarat and developed a reputation as an exciting footballer possessing pace and smooth skills despite his light frame. He represented the Territory in this year's National Under 18s and was also a member of the North Ballarat Rebels who were TAC Cup minor premiers but fell out of the premiership race in the preliminary final. More recently, his stocks soared after some stunning results in the AFL Draft Combine. He speaks well and looks to have a strong, intelligent mind.

Dominic Barry's transition from a young Alice Springs teenager to playing member of the country's oldest football club has already been one to marvel about given the circumstances and the age at which he embarked upon his personal journey. The next stage will be even more daunting as he faces a long, hard development period during which he will be prepared to become a senior AFL footballer.

Barry will be doing all of this under a shadow that now hangs over the brotherhood of the indigenous players within the environment of the game at the elite level.

I recently came across this article in the Northern Territory News - Why NT players don't last in AFL. It discusses the difficulties that many indigenous Territorians have in adapting to life in the big smoke. It also evokes thoughts of the controversies that saw Matt Rendell's sacking from his recruiting job at Adelaide and the unseemly false slurs of racism directed at Melbourne coach Mark Neeld earlier in the year.

To be sure, there have been many success stories like Maurice Rioli and his nephew Cyril, Michael Long, Andrew McLeod, our own Matthew Whelan and Aaron Davey but the stories of those who did not succeed got me wondering. This is due to the sad fact that one of the list of "failures" is someone who I always believed had the strength to reach the greatest of heights in our game.

So what is it that can explain why the bookmark in my copy of Bruce Hearn Mackinnon's book The Liam Jurrah Story: From Yuendumu to the MCG lies unmoved since early September when the news headline read Jurrah quits Demons? Where did it all go wrong?

After all, this was a story that had provided so much inspiration before the book was even conceived. In 2009, l heard it direct from the author's mouth at a small gathering of Demon fans at the Richmond Hotel that was once owned by Demon great Ron Barassi.

Liam was already an elder among his people in his early twenties and was set to act as an example to the desert inhabitants from the centre of Australia who suffered poverty and whose youth were exposed to alcohol, drugs, petrol sniffing and rampant crime. The Warlpiri Wizard's journey to Melbourne and his role as an athlete was already creating excitement in AFL circles. The story of that journey from Yuendumu to the MCG was meant to establish a new pathway out of hell for some of these kids but none of us could have predicted the intensity of the raging storm about to envelope the remote desert community of Yuendumu.

The feud within Liam's community is well documented hereand here. It lingered and festered and ultimately led to the events at an Alice Springs encampment which resulted in criminal charges being laid against Jurrah and others within his family. The repercussions appear to have rendered shut many of the doors to the pathway out of hell.

Even in the likely event (based on what I have read in the media of the evidence from the committal hearing) that Liam is exonerated in the eyes of white man's law at the trial set to take place next March in Darwin, those doors will not reopen without the intervention of a great deal of tribal wisdom that is beyond our reach and understanding. We can only pray that peace return to their homes.

Meanwhile, these events were taking place many light years away from the Melbourne Football Club which had its own problems throughout the year in other areas. The reality in the case of Liam Jurrah was that despite the support of the club and its members and fans, it was becoming impossible for him to remain a part of that other world with its own heavy commitments and workload while he and his community occupied such a dark space.

There are some who feel animosity because Jurrah left the club and headed towards the sanctuary of his family without a word of thanks or without seeking a way out that would have left his club with compensation for an exciting young player whose career had stalled. Others blame it all on his heritage. Those views are uncharitable and selfish. He gave us enjoyment and he provided us with thrills every time he took the field in his short career. He has fulfilled his obligations to us as ours have been satisfied with him but it’s over now,

If we must talk in terms of compensation, then I am grateful with the realisation that the Melbourne Football Club has not shunned the Aboriginal footballer as a result of this year's experiences with Liam Jurrah and to a lesser extent with Kelvin Lawrence and with Austin Wonaeamirri before him. That is our compensation - the fact that we continue to openly embrace the talents of our indigenous players after such a difficult year enriches us as a football club.

It is what elevates Dominic Barry's arrival this week from a mere footnote to a revelation.

Nice work Jack; for some reason I could never see LJ hanging around for long..something about burning so very very brightly.

Well said, Jack.

Dominic - show us all the light, son. We are looking to be inspired!

i dont think we've seen the last of LJ in the AFL just yet

Thoughtful and important post, Jack. For me it's a case of more in sorrow than in anger, even if I can understand why others get angry about how it all fell out.

There's a discussion on Bomber Blitz about Jordan Gysberts but it also contains a post about Kelvin Lawrence which, if true, I suppose sums up why he returned home before the end of the season:-

"Not sure I mentioned it at the time but just to further show how woeful Melbourne are... Kelvin Lawrence who recently "walked away" from melb FC was hardly the case, he had his papers stamped mid year when ge called in sick for training only to check-in on Facebook 30min later with his girlfriend at Melbourne aquarium! Fair to say the coaches were not happy when they found out!"

Refreshing refreshing refreshing. Congratulations on a fantastic post!

Very saddened by all of the ugly vitriolic slanders directed at LJ and myself for standing up for him. I will no longer be a part of this forum because to be frank it's downright ugly and should not be tolerated in 2012. Wish you all well all the same and go dees in 2013.

Farewell!

Refreshing refreshing refreshing. Congratulations on a fantastic post!

Very saddened by all of the ugly vitriolic slanders directed at LJ and myself for standing up for him. I will no longer be a part of this forum because to be frank it's downright ugly and should not be tolerated in 2012. Wish you all well all the same and go dees in 2013.

Farewell!

Precious indeed and a defeatist attitude when you consider that the mods have deleted the offending posts and canned the thread in question.

Typical Demonland fluff, forgot to mention Farmer, Bamblett, Charles,whom all sold the club out, twice the footballers that Jurrah claimed to be,Barry is a Veal deal, everyone knows it, started the year playing reserves footy for St. Pats. was expected to go pick 70 plus or rookied,

Typical Demonland fluff, forgot to mention Farmer, Bamblett, Charles, twice the footballers that Jurrah claimed to be,Barry is a Veal deal, everyone knows it, started the year playing reserves footy for St. Pats. was expected to go pick 70 plus or rookied,

What is a Veal Deal?

You would be too young, a pick 1000 swapped between Hawtthorn and the Bulldogs.

I'll bite, where is the fluff? Point of the article is there, that the club continues to look everywhere for good footballers including indigenous ones. And that its not easy swapping cultures, and bluey i know you'd struggle outside your goldfish bowl. When did jurrah ever claim to be anything? He looked like he liked playing for the club as far as his body language went.

BTW I reckon we got the best out of Farmer and Charles, the star that burns twice as bright burns half as long, 10 years out of a footballer is the exception and not the rule, so would I like all my stars to have longevity, of course, is it going to happen, that's fluff...

On a brighter note, I really enjoyed the original post, thanks for the effort keep it up.

Precious indeed and a defeatist attitude when you consider that the mods have deleted the offending posts and canned the thread in question.

problem here is the culture and level of understanding of indigenous footballers as above raised by Whispering Jack. A very worthwhile piece of writing and we all have lots to learn.

What is a Veal Deal?

Les Bamblett! FAST! Another star. Thank you for reminding me.

enjoyable to read & well written as usual WJ

Typical Demonland fluff, forgot to mention Farmer, Bamblett, Charles,whom all sold the club out, twice the footballers that Jurrah claimed to be,Barry is a Veal deal, everyone knows it, started the year playing reserves footy for St. Pats. was expected to go pick 70 plus or rookied,

Yeah I know he likes taking the [censored] but really, what a piece of ignorance from Bluey about young Barry. True, he was expected to go early in the piece at somewhere in the late third or fourth round but his performances late in the season and at the draft combine where he did well in seceral categories elevated him in the estimation of many into the second round (early to late 30s). In addition, he represented NT in the Under 18s carnival where he did well. He's definitely not a bunny or a Veal deal candidate as suggested by the smart****.

Refreshing refreshing refreshing. Congratulations on a fantastic post!

Very saddened by all of the ugly vitriolic slanders directed at LJ and myself for standing up for him. I will no longer be a part of this forum because to be frank it's downright ugly and should not be tolerated in 2012. Wish you all well all the same and go dees in 2013.

Farewell!

Sorry, where are these vitriolic slanderous posts you mention?

There is a lot of sadness and a degree of hurt felt by many Demon fans at the whole way the Liam (and Wona for that matter) dream ended. Some express it as anger - a feeling of being letdown by someone to whom the club had given an enormous amount of time, and assistance of all sorts. Others cope by just moving on. We all react in different ways. But there must be some rub off from the manner of Liam and Wona's exitings on the willingness to draft indigenes especially from the more remote parts of the Territory, especially in the short term.

All that said, I look forward, as I always do at this time of the year, again with optimism as we welcome Dom to our club, and I wish him a very long and successful career in the R&B.

I give myself the occasional break from Demonland, came back on today and actually thought this piece from WJ was excellent....of course reading Bluey's post reminded me why I give myself a break occasionally....sigh

INDIGINE - THE POSTSCRIPT by Whispering Jack

There are some who feel animosity because Jurrah left the club and headed towards the sanctuary of his family without a word of thanks or without seeking a way out that would have left his club with compensation for an exciting young player whose career had stalled. Others blame it all on his heritage. Those views are uncharitable and selfish. He gave us enjoyment and he provided us with thrills every time he took the field in his short career. He has fulfilled his obligations to us as ours have been satisfied with him but it's over now,

for me it was a very dissapointing end.

as you say we did lots of work with Liam to get him here, and his story was inspiring. and he played some good football with us. in that reguard you are right he fulfilled his obligations.

then there was that unfortunate alleged incident. again we supported Liam as much as we could, legally, with councilling and the fact we didn't simply delist him for it.

afterwoods Liam tells us it is all to difficult, and I want to quit football.

Again. whilst sad, it is completly acceptable and understandable. the man is having a difficult time with everything, and if he needs to walk away from the game. so be it and goodluck.

My issue comes later. when all of a sudden he now has a passion to play afl again. and is doing all he can to play at port adelaide next year.

this is the point which pisses me off. we loose a good potentially great player to port (i believe he was still contracted for next year before he quit) and we get diddly squat. it makes me question if there were other issues appart from the obvious. and he wanted out of melbourne. and found a very convieniant excuse.

respect comes both ways, and it is difficult to respect a man who has shown us nil.