Ahead of our AFL Sir Doug Nicholls Round game against Walyalup Football Club here on Wurundjeri Country this Saturday, the Board and CEO of Narrm Football Club shares their support for a First Nations Voice to Parliament.
Playing as Narrm during AFL Sir Doug Nicholls Round and AFLW Indigenous Round brings an enormous sense of pride and enrichment to our people. As does the work of our Reconciliation Action Plan committee, our connection to the Santa Teresa/Ltyentye Apurtecommunity and the recent opportunity to visit Raukkan, the remote home of Kozzy Pickett’s paternal family.
None of this would have been possible without the voices of First Nations people within our community being heard, shared and amplified. We are fortunate that in our industry, there are many of these voices, from players, coaches and administrators through to some of our most passionate supporters. On and off the field, First Nations people have long been some of our sport’s greatest contributors, and we look forward to how they will shape our Club for years to come.
It is our experience that creating a platform for First Nations voices leads to better outcomes for all. We consider it a great privilege and joy to learn from and engage with the world’s oldest living cultures.
It is for this reason that the Board and CEO of the Narrm Football Club support a First Nations Voice to Parliament in the upcoming referendum.
The opportunity to vote in a referendum is another great privilege and one all people have the right to make an informed and independent decision on. We do not wish to instruct or tell you how to vote, and we accept there are a diverse range of views within the community and amongst our people when it comes to a Voice to Parliament.
We do however believe it is important to share our own experiences having had the opportunity to work with First Nations voices on many levels.
We are confident that a First Nations voice to Parliament is a positive and exciting opportunity for all Australians and an important steppingstone towards a reconciled Australia. We encourage each of you to engage with appropriate resources to learn more before heading to the ballot box.
You can find a list of such resources below.
Reconciliation Australia – Voice to Parliament
Uluru Statement from the Heart
For the duration of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, the Melbourne Football Club will be rebranded and referred to as the Narrm Football Club.