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Nestled quietly on the Northern most tip of the Queensland Coast, Bamaga peers out across the calm waters of Coral Sea towards the Torres Straight islands.
Around two thousand mainly Aboriginal and Torres straight islanders call the remote Community home... a thousand kilometres or a dusty ten hour drive north from the City of Cairns.
It may seem an unusual port of call for an AFL Club, however the Gold Coast SUNS have made a genuine commitment to the region through the No Boundaries partnership program and sent rising stars Jarrod Harbrow and Rex Liddy on a flying visit to several Communities across the region... the boys using sport to deliver a number of key educational and lifestyle messages to the areas school children.
For Harbrow who in recent years has established himself as one of the games most exciting ball runners.. the chance to get involved with the Indigenous Community and the “No Boundaries” partnership program, which is funded by FaCSIA, is being run in conjunction with AFL Cape York, NPA College and the Northern Peninsula Area Council... played a big role in his decision to sign with the SUNS.
“ I just want them to succeed because there is so much natural talent and you don’t want that to go to waste, you want to actually be meaningful and put them in a place where they could have a long and successful, healthy life”
While Jarrod was raised in Cairns, Rex Liddy, the cousin of Rugby League star Matt Bowen was brought up not far away from Bamaga in Hopevale, a community which like many others across the Cape is working to tackle dietary and truancy issues amongst it’s growing population.
Together, the Clubs Indigenous ambassadors are shining beacons for a program which challenges young indigenous youth to achieve their full potential by encouraging healthy lifestyles and the importance of a good education.
“ I love my school and if I didn’t go to school that was going to be my scholarship straight out the door and I stuck to it, I got a little annoyed at school sometimes, but you know, I just got through it.”
Rex like Jarrod is living proof that Sport can make a massive difference and the exciting young teenager is determined to make as big a difference off the field as he does on it.
“I love kids looking up to me because I want them to have a successful life and I don’t want to see them dropping out of school at the age of twelve or thirteen, I want them to finish school and have a great life after school as well, I’d do anything in my power to be a role model to anyone.”
The Club has committed to a continuing their Cape visits and working in partnership with AFL Cape York, NPA College and the Northern Peninsula Council. And judging from their initial reception, the kids from the Cape cant wait for them to come back.
As part of the program, selected students from the NPA region will also visit the GC SUNS headquarters for a week later in the year, where they will attend the Clubs match against Adelaide.
