by Whispering Jack

If it be your will

If there is a choice

Let the rivers fill

Let the hills rejoice

Let your mercy spill

On all these burning hearts in hell

If it be your will

To make us well

Leonard Cohen – If it Be Your Will

First there was pain and a long journey and then the remnants of what had been a family, my family, made their way to this country. They were the survivors who found a new home and it was safe and they were made well.

One evening when I was about ten years old, my parents visited an uncle's milk bar in Fitzroy. That night, I came face to face with a large dark faced woman. She rushed into the store reeking of alcohol and fear. Blood was dripping down the front of her dress and her plea for an ambulance was whistled through missing teeth. "Me hubby's been stabbed," she shrieked and all of us stood frozen. All but my mother, who went with her, calmed her and nursed 'hubby' till help came and the man survived just as my mother had done before I was born. Someone righteous saved her too.

Today, we said sorry to those who had wrong done to them and it was a moving occasion but it was far too late for many. Those who came here before us systematically terrorised, murdered, raped and abused them. They were exposed to our ailments and to alcohol and their minds were tormented, their children stolen. We share this land now with only their remnants – the survivors. Thankfully, among them are some of the finest people you can find. They don't seek vengeance and it would be wonderful if they could be adequately compensated for their suffering.

In this country we love our sport and we love our truly native game. I'm proud to have in the team that I support some of the survivors. Matthew Whelan, Aaron Davey, Isaac Weetra and Austin Wonaeamirri are and will continue to be an inspiration to all of us. People like them in all walks of life all over the land can now band together with us to build a better nation, one built on respect for all. And it will be safe and we will all be made well.

by Whispering Jack

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In this country we love our sport and we love our truly native game. I'm proud to have in the team that I support some of the survivors. Matthew Whelan, Aaron Davey, Isaac Weetra and Austin Wonaeamirri are and will continue to be an inspiration to all of us.

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Brilliant 'WJ'! And our game is so much the better for the participation of those mentioned, and their brothers in other teams.

What a long awaited, emotional day 'Sorry day' was. I will long remember standing in Federation Square with so many of the like minded and long suffering crowd. Being a white 'gubba' I can have no real understanding of what generational persecution and degeneration can do to ones soul. All I know is that I can only do my bit educating my children, family and friends in not just accepting the first Australians for who they are, a proud and inspirational people with a facinating culture, but being a gracious guest of the traditional owners of our country.

By all means cheer our wonderful indigenous players on the field but remember and appreciate their struggle and their less fortunate brothers and sisters and extended family. We have come a lomg way in recent years but is from a very low and shameful base. There is still a way to go and believe me the predjudice is still out there - its just gone underground. I'm so proud of our clubs stance in many issues of cultural and community awareness and so appreciative of someone like Paul Gardener and his strong ethics and values instead of the moral paupers like the price fixer and the Toorak 'Broadie boy" who lead other clubs.

Well done WJ for highlighting this magic moment and your story and the meaning it has for so many of us.