Australia celebrated NAIDOC Week last week with events and activities across the country, recognising the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Eager to get on board with the celebrations, West Coast Eagles players Gerrick Weedon, Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls and Lewis Broome, along with the club’s Indigenous Liaison Officer and former Eagle Phil Narkle, headed to Subiaco Primary School to run a football clinic with students.
“At Subiaco Primary School, we are all about recognising and celebrating cultural differences, including the indigenous community,” said school principal Carolyn Press.
The Eagles stars put the students through their paces during two 40-minute clinics to develop their ball skills, before chatting with the students about their backgrounds, families, Indigenous communities and how they got started in football.
The students were then free to fire questions at the players and Narkle, asking everything from how often they train to their favourite foods.
“These players are great role models to the kids,” said the school’s physical education teacher Andy Longhurst.
“It gets the kids active and they learn about healthy eating and exercise.”
Every student who took part received a bag of West Coast Eagles goodies, including team posters and David Wirrpanda Foundation footballs, which the players signed for them.