Our lack of Indigenous players is embarrassing.

[RudeBoy]

The bottom line is we should always recruit the best players available, Indigenous or not. However, to maximise the chance of success of drafting young players from Indigenous communities (many of which face unique sets of social problems), we have to invest on-going resources to ensure our club has the necessary supportive and nurturing environment for these players. The clubs which over the years have done this - particularly Port Adelaide, Essendon, Richmond and Eagles - have reaped the rewards. Sadly, we have a long, long way to go to overcome our failures to face up to this challenge in the past.

[Doug44]

^
I think we are starting to do that RudeBoy, but it's chicken and egg. We're not going invest in resources if we have no indigenous players to invest in resources for.

We're heading in the right direction, with Debbie Lovett as our Indigenous Programs Manager, and with Wells expected to be given a role post retirement as well.

https://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/news/2019-10-14/the-story-of-daniel-wells

We now just need more talent, and that comes from recruiting.

[Mr Miyagi]

Port has a big indigenous community that's supportive. And they had Wanganeen. Essendon had Wanganeen, Long. Kids want to play at clubs Michael Long played at. Eagles have access to a huge aboriginal community whose members don't want to move to Victoria (it's like another country). That's the issue. Aboriginal kids want to play at clubs where their idols played. Michael Long, Gavin Wanganeen. We had Leon for a while and kids looked up to him, but the players we recruited had issues (Lovett-Murray) or just weren't up to AFL level. We've had Varcoe and Wells in recent years, with Kirby recruited -- it was looking good for indigenous culture at Collingwood. But yeah, Wells never got on the park, and Kirby was a tragedy.

[RudeBoy]

Yeah, you are right Doug44. I think our club is now heading in the right direction, but we are coming from a long way back and so have a long way to go.

[Doug44]

You'd hope Wells going to the combine with Hine is an indication that they're looking at addressing this in the upcoming draft.

[Mr Miyagi]

[BazBoy]

Just on our website and saw a real exciting non white we signed

Name is —errr!! Her name is Williams a this girl looks real hard at it go getter

[Rd10.1998_11.1#36]

So, we recruit Buddy and everything will be ok?

[Mossi]

I can't help remembering 2011 with Magic Leon and cAndy Krak, were we exciting!!! The way they helped turn the Adelaide game 360°. Any aboriginal youngster who saw that would have loved the black and white. Unfortunately Andy and Leon were at the wrong end of their carriers. I got excited again with Kirby, and we know how that went! I still Love watching Varc's Hopefully the club gets opportunities to draft some indigenous talent some time soon.

[shawthing]

[K]

[BazBoy]

Not indigenous but foreign—let’s consider Jok

[K]

I'm sure the VFL side would love to have him back. Dunno about a spot, even as rookie, on the senior list, though.

[Presti35]

Cyril looking good for the Tiwi Bombers... and still only 30.