The Koori Rugby League Knockout has been a four-day celebration of Aboriginal talent, family and culture, and this year it is the Newcastle Yowies who get to take home the illustrious title of grand champions.
The annual carnival, now in its 47th year, was started by a group of Aboriginal footballers in who were trying to tackle racism in rugby league and give country players a chance to get scouted. The competition has grown to become one of the biggest Indigenous events in the country, bringing together hundreds of teams from across New South Wales for a weekend of tough football.
In the female league, the competition favourites the Redfern All Blacks came out on top against the Dunghutti Jindas For many this event is about a lot more than football, and has become known as a "modern day corrobboree".
The competition often attracts some well known NRL players who come back to play for their home side. Former Newcastle Knights player Timana Tahu came to watch his old side, the Newcastle Yowies, take out the competition. That's how passionate people are about this knockout. The Yowies' win means they get to bring next year's competition to Newcastle. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work.
I saw a bloke in the Newcastle Yowies team who managed to take down Andrew Fafita one-on-one. You could just see on his face a combination of shock and excitement and terror all rolled into one. It goes the same for the NRL boys who play. Socrates: What are the positive outcomes for communities through their participating in the Knockout? George: The fact that it is such a positive event. In aboriginal communities and aboriginal families quite often when you have that sort of catch up with families and friends it is usually for negative reasons.
You are there to play footy. You get a bit of post-knockout depression when you finish up because it is such an exciting and enjoyable week-end. When it does finish up you wish that you could have that every week end but you wait the twelve months for it to roll around again and its really empowering for communities. Socrates: Do you see changes coming for the Koori Knockout into the future?
George: Not really sure about where it could be headed but if you roll back the clock ten years the way that the Knockout was run was different I think. The experience that communities gain from hosting the Knockout is developing that professionalism and business acumen that you are forced to gain! You are hosting over teams over a week end so you must be able to prepare the logistics for that.
What communities gain out of developing this professionalism is massive. Like I said. The women are really talented. They have the skill. Socrates: Did you see any potential future pros playing for Knockout teams? George: Definitely. In the past when young indigenous players have come down to have a go in the big leagues they have often been told that they were too small and its often killed a lot of careers of great young players.
But the way that the game is evolving I think that it is playing more into their hands now so that clubs are looking for those especially talented players and less focused on their size. When you watch the games of the kids in the junior ages they are often years ahead of the skills seen in the open ages.
Some of the things that the kids are doing are crazy. There is so much potential for it. Even in the open ages, too, you see guys who might have missed out on the opportunity when they finished high school but now they are still very high-quality players. You could see them slotting into a system so easily. They have the fitness.
They obviously have the drive — just to be in the shape that they are in! Socrates: What is it that makes the Koori Knockout such a unique and special event? George: The size of the event. The fact that it has now been running successfully for 47 years. The fact that it has been passed on from community to community and gets more successful every year.
Just the positive vibe that surrounds the week end… and the quality of the football. Socrates and daughter, Salem, had a terrific day out at the Koori Knockout. Follow our live coverage for the latest news on the coronavirus pandemic. The Koori Knockout may be a football tournament, but to the Indigenous community it means so much more. This year's four-day event had teams battling it out at Dubbo's Apex Oval in the state's central-west, in a fast-paced, high-calibre tournament.
While it was held in Dubbo, the event was hosted by premiers the Newcastle Yowies, running from Friday until today. Club president Warren Schillings said the club had been planning the event for the past year. Everyone looks forward to it. This is as big as Christmas," Mr Schillings said. The knockout is regarded as one of the biggest gatherings of Indigenous people in the world. Many NRL stars got their big break at the knockout and each year return to where it all began. Big name players such as Cody Walker, Andrew Fifita, James Roberts and Australian captain Greg Inglis have all lined up for their hometown teams this year, to the excitement of thousands.
A lot of these fellas come through these knockouts and it's a stepping stone for all the other young players. The youngest tournament participants cannot wait to see their footy idols up close — it is a rare opportunity for those who live in rural and remote areas. They're practicing their goanna celebration to show [Greg]," Dubbo youth worker Alex Boney said.
Mr Boney works with young people living in Dubbo housing estate Apollo House, and is coaching their first under side.
Apollo House is participating in the Koori Knockout for the first time, with 44 children playing for the Apollo Estate Black Astronauts.
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