The Melbourne Football Club and the House of Darwin Foundation will make dreams come true in 2025, with the launch of a special partnership. 

The Demons, through their community platform in the Jim Stynes Foundation, will join forces with the Darwin-based charity organisation, aiming to have positive impact in the Northern Territory region with particular focus on the young people who call these communities home. 

The partnership will see the pair work together on a dedicated Hoop Dreams project, beautifying a basketball court for the community of Nyirripi.  

The town, which is home to the Nyirripi Demons, is located approximately 460 kilometres out of Alice Springs, with the club forming a meaningful connection to the community in recent years.  

The basketball court, serving as an epicentre for gathering, physical activity and overall wellbeing, will be enhanced with a mural created through community collaboration.  

The Demons and the House of Darwin made a visit to Nyirripi earlier this month, meeting with Traditional Owners in preparation for the project. 

AFL vice-captain Jack Viney and AFLW captain Kate Hore, who also sit on the Jim Stynes Foundation Board, were on the ground and shared their excitement for the initiative. 

“The club and the Jim Stynes Foundation are extremely excited to partner up with the House of Darwin,” Viney said. 

“Throughout my whole career, we’ve come and played in the Northern Territory – from Alice Springs to Darwin. To be able to partner with the House of Darwin, who are doing incredible work, and deepen the relationships with some of the communities here is really special.” 

Hore echoed the sentiment, speaking to the significance of getting involved in the program.  

“To be able to work on this special project is really cool for the Jim Stynes Foundation,” Hore said. 

“One of our main goals is to increase sporting opportunities for Indigenous communities and Indigenous kids, and you can see the impact sporting facilities have in towns like Nyirripi. 

“Here in Nyirripi, they are the Demons, so it was only natural we came here for the next Hoops Dreams project and to partner with the House of Darwin is really cool.” 

House of Darwin launched the Hoop Dreams initiative back in 2022 and have since refurbished five community courts – in Minmarama, Yirrkala, Gunbalanya, Barunga and Wangkatjungka. 

Shaun Edwards, who founded House of Darwin five years ago, has seen the impact the project has had over the past three years. 

“It’s more than just a basketball court. It’s where their dance goes down, it’s today where the health workshops happen,” Edwards said. 

“The infrastructure is sometimes left to rot, so we’ve gone out and we’ve restored five courts across North Australia. 

“We’re really excited to be partnering with the Demons and bringing another Hoop Dreams project – our sixth – to life.” 

Adding to the significance, the court design will also feature on Melbourne’s 2026 Indigenous guernsey, to be worn during Sir Doug Nicholls Round and AFLW Indigenous Round. 

“It’s really exciting, it means the project will live on,” Edwards said. 

“The community members are very passionate supporters, and they will be able to watch the game, look on the TV and see their artwork live on, on the MCG.” 

Melbourne has a rich, authentic and long-standing connection to the Northern Territory, having played a regular AFL fixture game in the region for more than a decade. 

The club and JSF, sharing in the House of Darwin’s vision of writing a love letter to the Northern Territory and its people, hopes to create long-lasting impact through the empowering partnership.  

The House of Darwin Foundation is the charitable arm of the House of Darwin apparel brand, which was founded by Edwards in 2020.