Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Over the last week and a half I attended a number of events to do with the football teams in the Northern Territory that have reached their centenary. These football clubs are a massive part of the fabric of Northern Territory society, and this is a significant milestone for AFL in the Northern Territory. The three foundation clubs—the Waratahs, the Wanderers and the Darwin Buffaloes, the double blues—started in 1917. As part of the centenary celebrations there was a centennial match between two of those foundation clubs—the Waratahs and the Wanderers; each of those foundation clubs held centenary dinners; and each of those clubs has gone through the very tough task of selecting their team of the century.

Can you imagine how difficult that has been? There were so many outstanding players who not only had successful club careers but played representative football in the Northern Territory and went on to play down in the south or in the west and who also, obviously, played at the highest levels in the AFL. I am talking about the Riolis, the Cubillos, the Motlops, the McLeods, the Kantillas and the Reubens—the Coopers. These are the names of the families that also built the Top End—Athanasiou, Lew Fatt and McAdam. They show our rich multiracial and Indigenous roots, a mix that has not always brought harmony over the years. There were turbulent times in the early days when the game was played on an oval across from the Darwin Hotel, where today we gather to honour battles of another kind. That oval is now our Cenotaph in Darwin, where next week we will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Darwin.

These three foundation clubs made football what it is today in the Northern Territory. It is a massive organisation that reaches into every corner of the Territory and inspires the talents and genuine love for being a team and for being together.

On Australia Day I attended a centennial football match between the Waratahs and Wanderers football clubs, both foundation teams. The Waratahs are based at the beautiful Gardens Oval. They are the only foundation team to play every year in the competition, and they have had thousands of Australians play with them over the years. That is despite the often transitory nature of their club.

On 27 January the Waratahs Centenary Dinner was held and their Team of the Century was announced. The Waratahs Team of the Century are: Hank McPhee, Tom Sandery, Percy Scorer, Keith Nickels, Frank Matthews, Lincoln Withers, Anthony Hoban—good on ya, Herbie—Maurice Rioli, Gilbert McAdam, Charles McKee, Arch Wilkey, Bill Eacott, Braun Bush, Gary Argus, Mike Poulter, Bob McKenzie, Chris Williams, 'Snowy' Klose, Matthew Wakelin, Denis Ganley, Peter Ivanoff and Willy Rioli. The coach is Bill Martin and the assistant coach is Pat Skelley. It was very difficult to choose that team. There were originally 120 and it was cut down to 40, and they had to choose a team of 22.

I also want to acknowledge Aunty Kathy Nickels, Ali Johnston—rest in peace, and Ronny Baker. I thank all the living legends and all the volunteers. I thank Brian Price and his wife, Janicean, as well as Bob Jenner, Gary Smart, Stephanie Junger and Sherryn Killmeister. This is to mention but a few who put the activities together. Well done, Tahs!

Another foundation club is the Wanderers football club. This is another foundation club that celebrated its foundation club status, their centenary, by winning the centennial football game on Australia Day. Then, on 28 January, they held their centenary dinner. It was a great night—with Essendon legend Kevin Sheedy in good form—as they announced their Team of the Century. The Eagles have had a broad reach over the years and have established strong links with Katherine and the Arnhem Land regions.

The Wanderers Team of the Century was selected from the following squad: Don McMillan, Billy Ellis, Edward 'Ted' Cooper, Shannon Motlop, Gilbert Clarke, Michael Millar, Paul Nikoletis, Kevin Wanganeen, Roy Graetz, Russell Jeffrey—champion, Cyril 'Gus' Wanganeen, Peter Filler, Doug Kelly, Poncie Cubillo, Brad Mawson, Maurie Ryan, Bruce Potts, Aaron Motlop, Troy Angel, Darryl Taylor, Rusty Moreen, Jack White, Tommy Burrunjuk, Eddie Cubillo, Peter Marrego, Steve 'Bully' Abala and Paul Motlop.

I want to acknowledge all the players and club members over the years, their centenary committee and the selectors. I also want to acknowledge the special relationship that the Wanderers have had with the Bagot community and the Belyuen community over the years.

Last weekend I attended celebrations for the Darwin Buffalos Centenary. First known as the Warriors and then Vestey's in the early days the team was primarily formed by workers from the meatworks owned by Lord Vesty. From its earliest days the Darwin Buffaloes were made up of many nationalities. There has been a documentary made about the team and the role it played in the social make-up of Darwin in the last century. The Buffs event was a real family affair and there are too many to acknowledge individually. Again, very difficult choices had to be made about the selection of their team of the century.

The team is: Aldo Rossetto, Ali Muir, Andrew McLeod, Basil Damaso, Bill Dempsey, Bill McLean, Robert 'Bob' Garner, Cory Ah Chee, Darryl White, David Atkinson, David Ross Jnr, Don Bonson Snr, Don Stokes, George Liveris, Gerry Kenny, Greg Bruce, Jason Jones, Jimmy Anderson, Jock McLeod, Joe McGuiness, Joe Sarib, John Clarke, John Paterson, Leo Pon/Castillon, Lionel Butler, Mark West, Matthew Whelan, Norm Hagan, Reuben Cooper Snr, Robbie Ahmat, Ron Chin, Ronnie Cooper Jnr, Ron 'Barney' Quall, Steve Abala Snr, Steven Hayes, Steven Stokes, Walter Lew Fatt, William Ahmat, William 'Put' Ahmat and William 'Ninny' Briston. Well done, Buffaloes! Shuffle up. Old Buffaloes never die.

The history of these three teams—the Waratahs, the Wanderers and the Buffaloes—is the history of Darwin, Palmerston, the Top End and Australia. They tell of good and hard times, times of war, natural disasters, the White Australia policy, the Stolen Generation and of reconciliation. Those clubs were the foundation clubs in 1917. The survival of these three foundation clubs for a century playing Aussie Rules in the Northern Territory is quite extraordinary. It is, in itself, a tale of survival. But you just cannot thank the volunteers enough. You cannot thank all of those people, that rich cultural tapestry of Darwin, as they went through wars, cyclones, natural disasters and the bombing of Darwin. All those families—Aboriginal families, families from Asian countries, and also teams like the Waratahs that had people coming in to work in town—joined up with the Waratahs and just had this incredible cultural experience.

As I said, with those teams of the century, what the clubs really wanted all of their membership to know is that they could not have done it without the volunteers and the love and the support of their families. Imagine all those oranges that got cut up. Imagine a century of dirty footy jumpers and socks and drinks to be prepared for the team. The good times. Those foundation clubs of the Northern Territory Football League are such an amazing part of our Australian history and not just the Territory's. Well done to them.