Academy: Gold Coast SUNS Gun Factory

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SUNS said:
Lloyd spent almost two weeks with he boys in Darwin. Has a good head on his shoulders and I think he would make the transition from NT life to the Gold Coast a lot easier than other players in his position

It is easy to lump some of these boys in the same category and say 'From Darwin'. But in actual fact Gold Coast to Wollongong is 25km shorter distance than it would be from Darwin to Borroloola. Let me assure you it is not as easy transit either.

I do hope the club is better placed to be housing these NT candidates than they were historically. Not a lot of people in here know how bad it was for Liam Patrick from Lajamanu. He was set up to fail. There has not been too many players with long and successful careers from truely remote communities. I'm not including players like the 'Rioli' and 'Long' families which have a much shorter and easier transit from the Bathurst and Tiwi Islands.

I'm looking at names like Jurrah (Yeundumu) and Patrick who have overcome adversity to even make it to the AFL but have not had the best pathways to ease in to city living. It is a different world out here. I promise you, if the AFL really tapped in to the NT and made these pathways more accessible, the amount of raw talent out here would astound everyone.
Click to expand...
I was not aware that Johnston was from Borroloola. I just ignorantly assumed he grew up in Darwin due to him being a part of our academy program. Interestingly, Borroloola is a part of the Carpentaria region which includes areas in both the NT and Queensland (Charlie Cameron is from the Queensland side of the Carpentaria). Borroloola is roughly a 250km drive from the Queensland border as opposed to the 972km distance to Darwin.

I feel having Jarrod Harbrow still a part of our club and helping to nurture these young indigenous lads or just generally helping them feel more comfortable living on the Gold Coast is going to be massive for a prospect like Johnston. Obviously Johnston's upbringing would have been very different to say Rosas or Jeffrey spent their entire childhood and teen years in Darwin but I'd like to think having other Darwin boys around would help Johnston feel a little more at home while on the GC.

Admittedly, I've never been to Darwin but I imagine the lifestyle there is more akin to the regional feel of the Gold Coast as opposed to the capital cities like Melbourne or Sydney so maybe that helps as well. Also, spending four years in Darwin as a teenager would hopefully mean Johnston is more accustomed to the regional city life than the massive cultural shock that a guy like Liam Jurrah would have experienced when he moved from remote Yuendumu to the mega city that is Melbourne. There's no doubt in my mind that there is a ridiculous amount of untapped talent in the NT and I think it's incumbent upon us as the club that has been given the Darwin zone to give these kids a great opportunity to make their dream a reality.

Maybe someone who is a little more informed on the NT situation can answer this... if Lloyd Johnston is from Borroloola, then why is he a part of our academy? According to the map below, Borroloola is within the Katherine region which is Geelong's NGA zone. Right? I read that Johnston moved to Darwin for schooling in 2019 so perhaps the four years he spent there makes him academy eligible for us?

RxtbCcr.jpg
 
GC2015 said:
I was not aware that Johnston was from Borroloola. I just ignorantly assumed he grew up in Darwin due to him being a part of our academy program. Interestingly, Borroloola is a part of the Carpentaria region which includes areas in both the NT and Queensland (Charlie Cameron is from the Queensland side of the Carpentaria). Borroloola is roughly a 250km drive from the Queensland border as opposed to the 972km distance to Darwin.

I feel having Jarrod Harbrow still a part of our club and helping to nurture these young indigenous lads or just generally helping them feel more comfortable living on the Gold Coast is going to be massive for a prospect like Johnston. Obviously Johnston's upbringing would have been very different to say Rosas or Jeffrey spent their entire childhood and teen years in Darwin but I'd like to think having other Darwin boys around would help Johnston feel a little more at home while on the GC.

Admittedly, I've never been to Darwin but I imagine the lifestyle there is more akin to the regional feel of the Gold Coast as opposed to the capital cities like Melbourne or Sydney so maybe that helps as well. Also, spending four years in Darwin as a teenager would hopefully mean Johnston is more accustomed to the regional city life than the massive cultural shock that a guy like Liam Jurrah would have experienced when he moved from remote Yuendumu to the mega city that is Melbourne. There's no doubt in my mind that there is a ridiculous amount of untapped talent in the NT and I think it's incumbent upon us as the club that has been given the Darwin zone to give these kids a great opportunity to make their dream a reality.

Maybe someone who is a little more informed on the NT situation can answer this... if Lloyd Johnston is from Borroloola, then why is he a part of our academy? According to the map below, Borroloola is within the Katherine region which is Geelong's NGA zone. Right? I read that Johnston moved to Darwin for schooling in 2019 so perhaps the four years he spent there makes him academy eligible for us?

RxtbCcr.jpg
Click to expand...

Very correct assumption regarding Darwin and Gold Coast having similarities. Darwin has a very chilled out vibe. Relaxed and apart from certain social issues, it is a very friendly place. In comparison to the bigger East Coast cities anyway

I would say the reason we have Lloyd access is because he plays his club football at Wanderers. It is not uncommon for players to travel at least once a week for training and then again for games. Often with a support cast of family and friends in tow. Which is a huge credit to their dedication when you factor in the quality of the vehicles and other obstacles in the way of long travel.

I don't know Lloyd personally, only met him once. But I know Liam Patrick and his story fairly well. He was one who would make the journey from Lajamanu to Darwin (8-10 hours each way) multiple times a week to play his footy. That is dedication.
 
SUNS said:
Lloyd spent almost two weeks with he boys in Darwin. Has a good head on his shoulders and I think he would make the transition from NT life to the Gold Coast a lot easier than other players in his position

It is easy to lump some of these boys in the same category and say 'From Darwin'. But in actual fact Gold Coast to Wollongong is 25km shorter distance than it would be from Darwin to Borroloola. Let me assure you it is not as easy transit either.

I do hope the club is better placed to be housing these NT candidates than they were historically. Not a lot of people in here know how bad it was for Liam Patrick from Lajamanu. He was set up to fail. There has not been too many players with long and successful careers from truely remote communities. I'm not including players like the 'Rioli' and 'Long' families which have a much shorter and easier transit from the Bathurst and Tiwi Islands.

I'm looking at names like Jurrah (Yeundumu) and Patrick who have overcome adversity to even make it to the AFL but have not had the best pathways to ease in to city living. It is a different world out here. I promise you, if the AFL really tapped in to the NT and made these pathways more accessible, the amount of raw talent out here would astound everyone.
Click to expand...
So great to hear from someone who knows the landscape.

My wife has spent a bit of time in a few NT communities for work over the last few years - wadeye, Maningrida, wurrumyianga on Bathurst with a few others planned.

I wonder what is the best way to support athletes from remote regions if they relocated to the GC.

We see from the hawthorn saga how not to support them.

You reckon coordinating a number of family visits during the year? Or encouraging family members to relocate as well? Or helping the athletes to go home regularly?
Obviously whilst they’re down here finding a good support network.

It would be a very difficult time for these young men - learning how to be a professional athlete, learning how to be an adult, learning how to Loire in a completely foreign environment, all completely seperate from family without easy access to them.
 

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The Kings Ransom said:
So great to hear from someone who knows the landscape.

My wife has spent a bit of time in a few NT communities for work over the last few years - wadeye, Maningrida, wurrumyianga on Bathurst with a few others planned.

I wonder what is the best way to support athletes from remote regions if they relocated to the GC.

We see from the hawthorn saga how not to support them.

You reckon coordinating a number of family visits during the year? Or encouraging family members to relocate as well? Or helping the athletes to go home regularly?
Obviously whilst they’re down here finding a good support network.

It would be a very difficult time for these young men - learning how to be a professional athlete, learning how to be an adult, learning how to Loire in a completely foreign environment, all completely seperate from family without easy access to them.
Click to expand...

Good questions. I hope we have the people at the SUNS to do this the right way


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 
The Kings Ransom said:
So great to hear from someone who knows the landscape.

My wife has spent a bit of time in a few NT communities for work over the last few years - wadeye, Maningrida, wurrumyianga on Bathurst with a few others planned.

I wonder what is the best way to support athletes from remote regions if they relocated to the GC.

We see from the hawthorn saga how not to support them.

You reckon coordinating a number of family visits during the year? Or encouraging family members to relocate as well? Or helping the athletes to go home regularly?
Obviously whilst they’re down here finding a good support network.

It would be a very difficult time for these young men - learning how to be a professional athlete, learning how to be an adult, learning how to Loire in a completely foreign environment, all completely seperate from family without easy access to them.
Click to expand...

I have to be very very very careful about how I say this. But if true I see the direction Fagan/Clarkson were going with what the allegations suggest. I don't condone it in anyway shape or form. But the heart was in the right spot.

A young person from here finding city life and money is a recipe for disaster. As i'm sure your wife would attest to TKR, families out here go far beyond flesh and blood, but the greater part of the community. And with the culture out here, any gained assets, no matter how they are obtained are not just expected to be shared amongst the 'family' (community), but almost mandated. The constant pressure from back home would be horrific for a young man. The demands of money, assets and even time would be unrelenting.

There is also the factor of 'community hierarchy; for lack of a better way of putting it. If a senior family member or elder demands you come back to community, well, you come back to community. It doesn't matter what you are throwing away or at risk of losing in your new life. You drop what you are doing and you head back home.

So any education and pathways implemented out this way would have to reach far beyond the football field. Further than the individual player with dreams of playing AFL footy. It's something that the indigenous community as a whole would need to be educated on. And also, we as ignorant big city people also need to educate ourselves with.

Would it be in a young man who has made the AFL's benefit to somehow remove these outside influences for the sake of his football career? Absolutely.

Would it mess with him emotionally and have significant effects on himself and his greater family back home? You bet.

Is it right to remove a player from his culture just for a chance at success in the AFL? God no.

Is there a feasible way to have his family involved/closer to where he is stationed as a potential/current AFL footballer? With my experience, not yet

What can be done to come up with solutions for all these problems? We need to find a way to bridge the gap between remote community life and rural/city life. This doesn't start at Darwin at 'The Michael Long Centre'. This has to start at the coalface. Right here in the communities, which is why I choose to come and live and work here. We have to bridge that gap between European Australians and our first nations people. This DOES NOT mean we just teach the indigenous to live by our standards. We also need a greater understanding of their culture and the way their lives are structured before we can even think about helping.

Without taking a single thing away from anyone who identifies as an indigenous Australian, the real, full blooded aboriginal communities are not what you expect or even imagine if you have never witnessed it. The way of life here is different. Very different. I would welcome anyone to come and experience it first hand with me either as a career change or just for a short holiday.My door is open tot everyone who wants to visit. Your perceptions will change very very fast. I know mine did
 
SUNS said:
I have to be very very very careful about how I say this. But if true I see the direction Fagan/Clarkson were going with what the allegations suggest. I don't condone it in anyway shape or form. But the heart was in the right spot.

A young person from here finding city life and money is a recipe for disaster. As i'm sure your wife would attest to TKR, families out here go far beyond flesh and blood, but the greater part of the community. And with the culture out here, any gained assets, no matter how they are obtained are not just expected to be shared amongst the 'family' (community), but almost mandated. The constant pressure from back home would be horrific for a young man. The demands of money, assets and even time would be unrelenting.

There is also the factor of 'community hierarchy; for lack of a better way of putting it. If a senior family member or elder demands you come back to community, well, you come back to community. It doesn't matter what you are throwing away or at risk of losing in your new life. You drop what you are doing and you head back home.

So any education and pathways implemented out this way would have to reach far beyond the football field. Further than the individual player with dreams of playing AFL footy. It's something that the indigenous community as a whole would need to be educated on. And also, we as ignorant big city people also need to educate ourselves with.

Would it be in a young man who has made the AFL's benefit to somehow remove these outside influences for the sake of his football career? Absolutely.

Would it mess with him emotionally and have significant effects on himself and his greater family back home? You bet.

Is it right to remove a player from his culture just for a chance at success in the AFL? God no.

Is there a feasible way to have his family involved/closer to where he is stationed as a potential/current AFL footballer? With my experience, not yet

What can be done to come up with solutions for all these problems? We need to find a way to bridge the gap between remote community life and rural/city life. This doesn't start at Darwin at 'The Michael Long Centre'. This has to start at the coalface. Right here in the communities, which is why I choose to come and live and work here. We have to bridge that gap between European Australians and our first nations people. This DOES NOT mean we just teach the indigenous to live by our standards. We also need a greater understanding of their culture and the way their lives are structured before we can even think about helping.

Without taking a single thing away from anyone who identifies as an indigenous Australian, the real, full blooded aboriginal communities are not what you expect or even imagine if you have never witnessed it. The way of life here is different. Very different. I would welcome anyone to come and experience it first hand with me either as a career change or just for a short holiday.My door is open tot everyone who wants to visit. Your perceptions will change very very fast. I know mine did
Click to expand...
I can appreciate where you're coming from......I spent 6 weeks working at Kaltukatjara, NT, just over 10yrs ago and and at Jameson, WA for a short time, and can attest, it's a very different way of life for sure....
 
SUNS said:
I have to be very very very careful about how I say this. But if true I see the direction Fagan/Clarkson were going with what the allegations suggest. I don't condone it in anyway shape or form. But the heart was in the right spot.

A young person from here finding city life and money is a recipe for disaster. As i'm sure your wife would attest to TKR, families out here go far beyond flesh and blood, but the greater part of the community. And with the culture out here, any gained assets, no matter how they are obtained are not just expected to be shared amongst the 'family' (community), but almost mandated. The constant pressure from back home would be horrific for a young man. The demands of money, assets and even time would be unrelenting.

There is also the factor of 'community hierarchy; for lack of a better way of putting it. If a senior family member or elder demands you come back to community, well, you come back to community. It doesn't matter what you are throwing away or at risk of losing in your new life. You drop what you are doing and you head back home.

So any education and pathways implemented out this way would have to reach far beyond the football field. Further than the individual player with dreams of playing AFL footy. It's something that the indigenous community as a whole would need to be educated on. And also, we as ignorant big city people also need to educate ourselves with.

Would it be in a young man who has made the AFL's benefit to somehow remove these outside influences for the sake of his football career? Absolutely.

Would it mess with him emotionally and have significant effects on himself and his greater family back home? You bet.

Is it right to remove a player from his culture just for a chance at success in the AFL? God no.

Is there a feasible way to have his family involved/closer to where he is stationed as a potential/current AFL footballer? With my experience, not yet

What can be done to come up with solutions for all these problems? We need to find a way to bridge the gap between remote community life and rural/city life. This doesn't start at Darwin at 'The Michael Long Centre'. This has to start at the coalface. Right here in the communities, which is why I choose to come and live and work here. We have to bridge that gap between European Australians and our first nations people. This DOES NOT mean we just teach the indigenous to live by our standards. We also need a greater understanding of their culture and the way their lives are structured before we can even think about helping.

Without taking a single thing away from anyone who identifies as an indigenous Australian, the real, full blooded aboriginal communities are not what you expect or even imagine if you have never witnessed it. The way of life here is different. Very different. I would welcome anyone to come and experience it first hand with me either as a career change or just for a short holiday.My door is open tot everyone who wants to visit. Your perceptions will change very very fast. I know mine did
Click to expand...
Thanks for your thoughts and sharing the Liam Patrick video. It’s very appreciated.

The wider audience is obviously very naive to the complete story and what these young men go through just to get a sniff of the AFL scene let alone forging a ‘successful’ AFL career.

You can see how important playing the games in Darwin are for the members of our squad who are from that region. And also for the other members of our squad to maybe get a bit more insight into what life is like. I hope we continue to do that and build connection with local members of the community.
 
Choppers said:
I can appreciate where you're coming from......I spent 6 weeks working at Kaltukatjara, NT, just over 10yrs ago and and at Jameson, WA for a short time, and can attest, it's a very different way of life for sure....
Click to expand...

Good old Docker River! I was in Mutitjulu for a while. Were you involved with footy at all there?
 
The Kings Ransom said:
Thanks for your thoughts and sharing the Liam Patrick video. It’s very appreciated.

The wider audience is obviously very naive to the complete story and what these young men go through just to get a sniff of the AFL scene let alone forging a ‘successful’ AFL career.

You can see how important playing the games in Darwin are for the members of our squad who are from that region. And also for the other members of our squad to maybe get a bit more insight into what life is like. I hope we continue to do that and build connection with local members of the community.
Click to expand...

I really hope the AFL take strides in implementing a bigger AFL presence in the NT. A team based here would certainly run at a financial loss for a very very long time. But the benefits to community and the pathways it would create for indigenous Australians would be sensational. I am sure the government would foot a massive part of the bill.

I know there is a lot happening behind the scenes which is going to upset a lot of Gold Coast folk lol. But the bigger picture of it all is exciting
 
SUNS said:
Good old Docker River! I was in Mutitjulu for a while. Were you involved with footy at all there?
Click to expand...
No I wasn't. I was there Nov/Dec 2011, and could have stayed and worked a lot longer, but I needed to be back on the Goldy before January, so was advised to leave before the wet hit or I'd be there 6 months, and as it turned out, I got out just in time. Was able get done what I needed to on the Gold Coast, and then headed home to Banchang.
The following year, I did another spell in Jameson WA, just a hop skip and a jump (4hr drive actually) from Docker River, although we flew from Alice in a single engine job for that one. And there's a couple of Suns caps with the kids out there somewhere...
 
SUNS said:
I have to be very very very careful about how I say this. But if true I see the direction Fagan/Clarkson were going with what the allegations suggest. I don't condone it in anyway shape or form. But the heart was in the right spot.

A young person from here finding city life and money is a recipe for disaster. As i'm sure your wife would attest to TKR, families out here go far beyond flesh and blood, but the greater part of the community. And with the culture out here, any gained assets, no matter how they are obtained are not just expected to be shared amongst the 'family' (community), but almost mandated. The constant pressure from back home would be horrific for a young man. The demands of money, assets and even time would be unrelenting.

There is also the factor of 'community hierarchy; for lack of a better way of putting it. If a senior family member or elder demands you come back to community, well, you come back to community. It doesn't matter what you are throwing away or at risk of losing in your new life. You drop what you are doing and you head back home.

So any education and pathways implemented out this way would have to reach far beyond the football field. Further than the individual player with dreams of playing AFL footy. It's something that the indigenous community as a whole would need to be educated on. And also, we as ignorant big city people also need to educate ourselves with.

Would it be in a young man who has made the AFL's benefit to somehow remove these outside influences for the sake of his football career? Absolutely.

Would it mess with him emotionally and have significant effects on himself and his greater family back home? You bet.

Is it right to remove a player from his culture just for a chance at success in the AFL? God no.

Is there a feasible way to have his family involved/closer to where he is stationed as a potential/current AFL footballer? With my experience, not yet

What can be done to come up with solutions for all these problems? We need to find a way to bridge the gap between remote community life and rural/city life. This doesn't start at Darwin at 'The Michael Long Centre'. This has to start at the coalface. Right here in the communities, which is why I choose to come and live and work here. We have to bridge that gap between European Australians and our first nations people. This DOES NOT mean we just teach the indigenous to live by our standards. We also need a greater understanding of their culture and the way their lives are structured before we can even think about helping.

Without taking a single thing away from anyone who identifies as an indigenous Australian, the real, full blooded aboriginal communities are not what you expect or even imagine if you have never witnessed it. The way of life here is different. Very different. I would welcome anyone to come and experience it first hand with me either as a career change or just for a short holiday.My door is open tot everyone who wants to visit. Your perceptions will change very very fast. I know mine did
Click to expand...
So well put man.

Can really attest to the last bit. I lived in an indigenous community for a few months and my whole perspective changed.
 
SUNS said:
Good old Docker River! I was in Mutitjulu for a while. Were you involved with footy at all there?
Click to expand...

Docker River!
My mum was a teacher there for several years in the 1970's, and my brother and I spent a school term there (Grade 3 I think). Too young to remember much. Small world though.
 

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The 2022 AFLQ Schools Cup got underway today and plenty of our academy players are competing. Lots of good results for the Gold Coast on day 1 and once again we will have a PBC v Helensvale state final.

Senior Male Prelim 1: PBC High def. St Joseph's Nudgee College
Senior Male Prelim 2: Helensvale High def. St Augustine's College

Senior Female Prelim 1: Varsity College def. Mountain Creek High

Junior Male Prelim 1: PBC High def. St Brendan's College

Junior Female Prelim 1: PBC High def. The Cathedral College


Here is an interesting story of one of our academy participants who will compete in the Schools Cup this weekend - Sunny Lappin. She is the daughter of our former assistant coach and now Surfers Paradise Demons QAFL head coach Matthew Lappin. Very similar to Bailey Scott before her, Sunny will become father-daughter eligible for Carlton and St Kilda as well as being academy eligible for us in a few years from now. Nothing new for us to be fighting it out for a father-son/daughter prospect but hopefully Sunny is one that we can hang onto because she looks like a really talented footballer.
 
Update on AFLQ Schools Cup results from yesterday:

Senior Male Prelim 1: PBC High def. St Joseph's Nudgee College
Senior Male Prelim 2: Helensvale High def. St Augustine's College

Senior Female Prelim 1: Varsity College def. Mountain Creek High
Senior Female Prelim 2: PBC def. St Andrews Catholic College

Junior Male Prelim 1: PBC High def. St Brendan's College
Junior Male Prelim 2: St Laurence's College def. Padua College

Junior Female Prelim 1: PBC High def. The Cathedral College
Junior Female Prelim 2: Hillcrest Christian College def. Pacific Pines High

Primary Male Prelim 1: Emmanuel College def. St Laurence's College
Primary Male Prelim 2: Paregian Springs State def. St Vincent's College

Primary Female Prelim 1: Banksia Beach State def. Mooloolaba State
Primary Female Prelim 2: Marymount Primary def. Ryan Catholic College

The good news is we have at least one Gold Coast representative in each division's final and even better to see all-GC finals in the senior male, senior female and junior female divisions. Of course the PBC v Helensvale male final will be of a lot of interest to many onlookers but another team to keep an eye on is Hillcrest in the junior female division for several reasons. Firstly, Hillcrest are coached by our former assistant coach Matty Lappin and they have three star players that are a part of our academy program in Sonny Lappin (Skinny's daughter), Ava Usher and Taya Reeves. All three of these girls represented Queensland earlier this year in their undefeated run to the national U15s title and all three were named in the U15 All-Australian side this year. All three of these girls also played in Hillcrest's 2019 primary female AFLQ Schools Cup title win. Expect them to complete the AFLQ Schools Cup treble by claiming the senior female title in the future as well!
 

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