2020 Indigenous Youth Leadership Online Program a Success

This week ahead of the AFL’s Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round, AFL NSW/ACT in partnership with Transport for NSW ran their annual Indigenous Youth Leadership Program. Aiming to identify the most talented Indigenous athletes and develop their leadership skills, the program is usually conducted in person over two talent camps. Due to the travel and training restrictions in place in relation to the COVID 19 pandemic, this year the program was run online.

Thirty young Indigenous people from across the State and Territory registered for the program which was delivered digitally over two afternoons and hosted by Gamilaraay and Wiradjuri man and AFL NSW/ACT staff member Matt Keevil. In the first session, participants learned leadership skills through a workshop run by Dave Arthur from iSport and heard from young Indigenous Sydney Swans player James Bell who discussed his experiences growing up, playing in the AFL and the important leaders and role models in his life.

In the second session the participants heard from GIANTS players Zac Williams, Jeremy Finlayson and Bobby Hill about their culture, leadership and what Sir Doug Nicholls Round means to them. They also received the first glimpse at the GIANTS 2020 Indigenous Guernsey, designed by Bobby Hill himself.

In this session Transport for NSW also ran a road safety component, empowering this group of Indigenous Youth to be proactive leaders in their communities.

AFL NSW/ACT are very proud of the contributions and engagement shown by the group and thank Transport for NSW for their continuing support of this program.