Indigenous magic isn't a gift - it comes with hard graf
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Great article Adam.....re-inforces what ROKlobster et.al. have been saying on this forum for years about the stereotyping of players.
LRT silky hair, Jetta silky skills."The Dog days are over, The Dog days are gone" Florence and the Machine -
So 2 national stories pinched from me in one week! Not bad. Come on everyone slay me again for daring to suggest that there is no such thing as indigenous magic...they are just EXACTLY the same as everyone else. When Stevie J or Didak or Milne is brilliant it's 'cos they're glorious players and they train harder to perfect their miracle skills....when Neon Leon does it, or Bennell, or Jurrah or Goodes or Rioli or Motlop, it's indigenous magic and they were gifted it....just listen to the commentators EVERY time....
Can you imagine any New Zealand press or commentators saying that Benji Marshall's skills are in any way related to his race? They would be FIRED on the spot. I'm not kidding.
As they sing in the musical "Avenue Q"...."Everyone's a Little Bit Racist""I'll acknowledge there are more talented teams in the competition but I won't acknowledge that there is a better team in the competition" Paul Roos March 2005Comment
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In case you've forgotten I challenged those who were crying out for us to draft indigenous boys 'cos we lacked for pace and flair. I had the temerity to suggest that race was not a factor and that we should draft players with pace and flair.
Two words
Gary Rohan"I'll acknowledge there are more talented teams in the competition but I won't acknowledge that there is a better team in the competition" Paul Roos March 2005Comment
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But we all know Rangas ruin the team photo. What were the recruiters thinking.....And the Swans are the Premiers...The Ultimate Team...The Ultimate Warriors. They have overcome the highly fancied Hawks in brilliant style. Sydney the 2012 Premiers - Gerard Whately ABC
Here it is Again! - Huddo SENComment
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For the record I'm not a racist, I discriminate against each race equally...And the Swans are the Premiers...The Ultimate Team...The Ultimate Warriors. They have overcome the highly fancied Hawks in brilliant style. Sydney the 2012 Premiers - Gerard Whately ABC
Here it is Again! - Huddo SENComment
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Good article, thoughtful and measured. And certainly deals with the 'silky' racist stereotype. Then on reflection I thought Adam may have had another racist stereotype in his sights: the slack and work-shy indigenous. His own career is the best possible refutation and gives strong encouragement to any youngster.He reminds him of the guys, close-set, slow, and never rattled, who were play-makers on the team. (John Updike, seeing Josh Kennedy in a crystal ball)Comment
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I don't think he's denying that there are some elements of the typical Indigenous physique, physiology, whatever that lend themselves to certain styles of play. What he has an issue with is that people tend to assume that this is all that indigenous players have, and all that is needed, in order to succeed, which is quite clearly not true. It's no secret that indigenous players TEND to play with more flair, and TEND to have more freakish skills. The problem is that people usually focus on that, and not the behind the scenes work that allows these players to demonstrate these skills at the highest level.Officially on the Reid and Sumner bandwagon!Comment
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I don't think he's denying that there are some elements of the typical Indigenous physique, physiology, whatever that lend themselves to certain styles of play. What he has an issue with is that people tend to assume that this is all that indigenous players have, and all that is needed, in order to succeed, which is quite clearly not true. It's no secret that indigenous players TEND to play with more flair, and TEND to have more freakish skills. The problem is that people usually focus on that, and not the behind the scenes work that allows these players to demonstrate these skills at the highest level.
Nevertheless there are genetic traits that seem to lend themselves more readily to certain types of activities ? particular ?magic? football skills might be an example - which are found more commonly in Indigenous, rather than non-Indigenous Australians. That of course does not mean that all Indigenous players have those traits or that no non-Indigenous players do, but it does help explain why there is an over-representation of Indigenous Australians playing AFL football in relation to their general population. Recognition of Indigenous players? contribution to the game, as well as the cultural / historical implications that underpins that contribution, is important to highlight.
However, I would not lump a player like Goodes (who I always think of as an out-and-out Rolls Royce on the football field) in with a player like Jeff Farmer, or Byron Pickett for example, as their skills sets are not really that similar at all - regardless of what many commentators may say on air.
There is a fine line between recognition and the perpetuation of stereotypes (of all types) and Adam Goodes has done a good job of pointing that out in his article.Comment
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"It's up to the rest of the players in the room to make a new batch of premiership players next year," Adam Goodes, triple Bob Skilton Medallist, October 7, 2011.
YOU BETCHA!!!!!!Comment
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