Richmond’s youngest three Indigenous players Sydney Stack, Shai Bolton and Derek Eggmolesse-Smith recently travelled to Adelaide to take part in the AFL Indigenous All Stars Summit.
The biennial three-night event was attended by 70 Indigenous players from every club in the competition as well as support staff and industry leaders.
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The camp is based around the three pillars of brotherhood and cultural identity, connection back to community and best practices and linkages to each players’ club.
Players took part in traditional dance, spear making, boomerang carving, training and weight sessions with their Indigenous peers throughout the camp.
First-year Tiger, Stack, who like 60 per cent of the indigenous players in the AFL hails from Western Australia and is part of The Noongar People, said that seeing the different styles of traditional dance was a highlight of the trip.
“It was a good opportunity to meet the fellas and the traditional owners of their land and seeing the way that they danced,” he said.
“It’s kind of different to us - when we went to Point Pierce they were dancing with the sticks, normally we would use the drums and didgeridoos.
“The way they danced was amazing and seeing it was such a good experience.”
Non-Indigenous support staff also got in on the action, much to the delight of the players.
“Most of them got involved and they actually loved it,” Stack said.
“They all had a bit of a laugh and we were laughing at them because they couldn’t quite get the technique right, but it was just amazing that everyone could jump on board and have fun.”
Both Stack and Eggmolesse-Smith pointed out Lewis and Neville Jetta, Eddie Betts and Shaun Burgoyne as Indigenous veterans they were grateful to have the opportunity to learn off.
“They were some of the guys I really looked up too before I got drafted,” Eggmolesse-Smith said.
“It’s good to get to know the guys from other clubs.”
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The most experienced of the trio, Bolton, said that while he is “now used to” living away from home, he enjoyed the opportunity to talk about some of the challenges that are faced.
“It was good to catch up with those other WA boys over there (at the Summit),” he said.
“A lot of them have been through all the same stuff and we all talk about it- it’s good to have all the aboriginal boys together even if it’s just to have a yarn.”
