I was only a generation away from being another statistic in the stolen generation.
My aunty tells a story of her and my dad’s family moving from house to house frequently just so they could escape the threat of a visit from welfare officers. If you stayed in one place too long, the chance of that dreaded knock at the door would increase. They only had one set of school clothes, so every day they would wash it and make sure it was clean for the following day’s lessons. If it wasn’t, there was always the worry of being taken away.
That’s part of my story. It’s what I tell our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players every year when they come into camp for the annual NRL All-Stars clash.
That pre-season match has become a highlight …