West Australian Football

The Kutjungka (desert) communities of Balgo, Mulin and Bililluna recently participated in a 4 day football development workshop. Emily Slaughter the Garnduwa employed Be Active Coordinator in Balgo coordinated the workshop with the aim to train the local ‘Be Active Officers’ to deliver auskick, junior and senior football programs. Brett Claudius (Kimberley Football Development Officer) and Michael Albert (Australian Sports Commission) travelled to Balgo to deliver the football development workshops.

Balgo is a remote Aboriginal community 280km East of Halls Creek and within 100km of the Northern Territory border. Football is growing to be a way of life for the men in these communities and the football program has developed over the past 12 months. Every day 50 - 60 youths and men meet on the picturesque red dirt football oval in Balgo to play football. The leaders of the group create three teams and toss the coin to determine which teams are ‘skins’ and which team are ‘shirts’. The first team to score five goals is the winner and plays the third team. The teams continue to play ‘first to five goals’ until the sunsets over the remote community. The football is fast, skillful and barefoot and interrupted only by the occasional group of children or dog running onto the oval. Men from Mulin and Bililluna remote aboriginal communities also travel up to 150km to play football in Balgo which helps bolster the numbers.

In 2007, Balgo officially registered an AFL Auskick centre through Emily Slaughter and Bede Lee at the Luurmpa Catholic School. Mulin and Bililluna also ran Auskick programs in 2007. In 2008 the Kutjungku communities are aiming to enter a team into the Kimberley Colts Championships which will be held in Fitzroy Crossing on the June long weekend. Furthermore the senior players are hoping to introduce a structured 8 week season of football in Balgo in 2008 and are seeking financial support for the project. Balgo, Mulin and Bililluna also play in 5 carnivals throughout the football season with some involving Northern TerritoryKimberley communities. communities and other

Brett Claudius the Kimberley Football Development Officer said the workshops were very successful. “It was very pleasing to see the local Be Active officers so interested in developing their coaching skills and to better structure the football programs. Participation levels at the moment are very encouraging and it is important that the senior players get involved with the auskick, junior and youth football programs”.