ERA & Rio Tinto supports AFL

The best Indigenous talent from around Australia came together in the Northern Territory for the third time for the AFL All Stars versus Western Bulldogs match on February 5, 2005.

Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) Ltd in partnership with Rio Tinto sponsored the All Stars match, continuing a tradition of association with the match, which is very popular with Indigenous and non-Indigenous Territorians for its speed, style and grace.

As part of the sponsorship, ERA arranged a trip to Jabiru and Gunbalanya (Oenpelli) communities by AFL All Star players Peter Burgoyne (Port Adelaide), Andrew Krakouer (Richmond) and former Jabiru resident Richard Tambling (Richmond), the day before the Darwin match.

Richard Tambling who left Jabiru when he was fifteen, said he was happy to be back and was greeted at the airport by his uncle Darryl, an ERA Supervisor in the Maintenance department. The clinics were held at Jabiru’s Brockman oval where Tambling used to train as a youngster. “I just used to run around the oval everyday. I’d run around there all the time, just by myself or with my cousins,” he said.

The young people from these remote communities thoroughly enjoyed their time with their AFL heroes and were able to show off their talent in the scratch matches. Almost 100 children attended the clinic in Jabiru while the clinic in neighbouring community, Gunbalanya was under less formal circumstances. The clinic started at 12.30 and although school finishes at 11.30 on Fridays in this community, children simply followed the troop carrier escorting the All Stars through the muddy streets.

The big game was held the next day at Marrara Stadium in Darwin. Managing Director of Rio Tinto Australia, Charlie Lenegan and his wife Cherie attended the game, and ERA’s Chief Executive Harry Kenyon-Slaney, presented the victorious All Stars with their winning medals in front of a crowd of 9000.

ERA and Rio Tinto arranged an excursion for 55 young people and 10 adults from Jabiru and Gunbalanya to travel to Darwin to attend the game. The visitors enjoyed seeing their heroes in action and played a demonstration game on the oval at half time.

One of the highlights of the game was when Jabiru girl Nerisha Nabulwad, a relative of Senior Mirarr Traditional Owner Yvonne Margarula delivered the match football to the umpires. The Mirarr people are the owners of ERA’s Ranger uranium mine, and the nearby Jabiluka lease area.