Arthurina Moreen's desire was so great to play footy, she'd practice by kicking bottles with her bare feet. A new documentary has shone a light on her resilience, and that of three other Tiwi Islander women as they chase AFLW stardom.
As the AFLW celebrates their annual Indigenous Round and the second-ever Dreamtime game in Darwin, the pathways for First Nations women to play at the highest level are as crucial as ever.Outside of obvious geographical hurdles, the players' vulnerability and upheaval runs far deeper than initially meets the eye.
The idea for Like My Brother came to Balharrie as she was sitting in the stands at the very first AFLW match in 2017. "Watching them grow, face challenges and embrace their dreams with such grace and strength has been inspiring, showing the world what it means to lead with pride, culture and community.Ugle is no stranger to the complexities of juggling tradition, family and her own dreams, growing up in Bunbury, Western Australia.
The experience of designing the Bombers' guernsey and flying to Melbourne was formative for Rina as she continued to chase her football dreams.Players spent half the year with the Essendon VFLW program, and the other half with family on Tiwi.Brendan Major, who was Essendon's VFLW coach at the time, noted the disparity in lifestyle.
"It's an incredible culture that is open and available for all Australians to share, all we have to do is get curious, take time to listen and think about the meanings of a way of life that could not be more different to a western approach in regard to family obligations and kinship, language and history," Balharrie said.For Rina, the documentary gives her a chance to tell her story and also connect to more First Nations women who want to follow their dreams.
Like My Brother premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival on Saturday, August 10, and was released exclusively in theatres across Australia on Thursday, October 17.
Culture Tiwi Tiwi Islands Like My Brother Documentary Documentary Australia Sal Balharrie Danielle Maclean Authurina Moreen Rina Juliana Kerinaiua Freda Puruntatameri Jess Stassi
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