READING Andrew McLeod’s speech made at the UN’s Geneva headquarters, Palais des Nations, on Australia Day, reminded me we remain closer to the start of a shift in attitudes than being anywhere near the end.

McLeod’s powerful words don’t hide the damage that has been done (his potted history detailing the personal experiences of his immediate ancestors remains chilling) nor has he become carried away with what has been achieved.

What his speech demonstrates (and where its power lies) is that contemporary indigenous leaders are continuing to build upon the platform his football forebears such as Michael Long and Nicky Winmar created when they said “NO to Racism”.

The current leaders are upbeat, imagining a bright future and showing enormous dedication to the task of achieving that vision, and working hand-in-hand with the AFL, indigenous Australia and the broader football community.

In many respects such pursuit of what is possible is analogous to the way McLeod played football. He was disciplined, hard-working, agile, motivated and reliable, all facets of his preparation underpinning his ability to regularly attempt and achieve what few other footballers could.  
 
He was also a proud, no nonsense man, aware of the cultural frame of his ancestry, able to articulate important parts of his identity in the speech with the words: 

“I am an Indigenous Australian. Australia’s Indigenous peoples are both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders; and I am a descendant of both Nations. My great grandmother is a Wardaman woman of the Moy-Moy clan from the Northern Territory; our totem is the King Brown Snake.  My great grandfather is a Gumulgal man of the Wagadagam clan, from Mabiaug Island in the Torres Straits; our totem is the saltwater crocodile.”

With such a strong identity it is no wonder he has managed to be such an inspirational leader.

McLeod’s actions - and the formal nature of his role as Community Engagement and Talent Coordinator with the AFL - since he has retired have the potential to be as significant as what he achieved in football because they provide a light for many.

He is adapting to a life beyond the game and applying the same foundations for success off the field as he applied on. As he says in his speech he still feels acutely the injustice his forebears endured but has found the capacity to look forward.

This is important because much work remains.

While the game has stamped out obvious racism, entrenched attitudes remain hard to move. Even well-meaning people are often unaware how their words and actions perpetuate entrenched stereotypes.

How many times for instance do we still hear the fact a player is Indigenous expressed as somehow relevant to their performance on field or their attitudes off field? Such a description is rarely applied to players with other backgrounds.

This is not just my opinion. It is one current players recognise as unhelpful.

Once we recognise that when calling things as they - good, bad or indifferent - that race is rarely, if ever, relevant we will be closer to the vision that McLeod and many of his contemporaries can see.

That goodwill exists for continued change and that the AFL has recognised its responsibility to use its profile and finances to create programs that send a positive message to the community is something the organisation (and those who have driven change through the decades) can be justifiably proud.

Don’t underplay the importance of programs such as the AFL’s Flying Boomerangs or AFL KickStart Program for the next generation of young players.

As one of the coaches in these programs, McLeod is teaching young players to understand their identity and that being resilient is as crucial as learning to kick a dribble goal.

Such ongoing work is significant because the effects of trauma remain everywhere but football continues to provide an opportunity for people to come together with enthusiasm, and use those moments to communicate, to learn, to laugh and to understand themselves and their place in the world.

The AFL has much to contribute to any forum titled Combating Racism Through Sport, as CEO Andrew Demetriou said in his preamble, and it was a credit to Demetriou that he did not hide past misdemeanours, nor suggest that the job is done. As he and McLeod said: much more work needs to be done, and vigilance and vision are co-partners in the project.

In his speech McLeod did express an immediate goal for the AFL community: “The next step for Indigenous people in the AFL is to look for other ways to be involved, we have no representations at a board level in any of the 17 Clubs, no representation on the executive committees and we don't hold any current Coaching positions, this is another agenda we must address.” 

This was a clear and heartfelt indication from one of the greats of the game that neither he, nor others of his heritage will allow rhetoric to be unfulfilled.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL