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Even before he joined Essendon as a category B rookie last week, Anthony Munkara was taken under the wing of fellow Tiwi Islander Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti.
Like his idol McDonald-Tipungwuti, Munkara had limited exposure to top-level junior football during his early years. “I didn’t even have [a] footy because I was staying at bush,” Munkara said.
“So I used to get a bottle and kick it around, and I just got back to the community and would watch YouTube [videos] of Cyril [Rioli] and a couple of AFL players.”
Munkara relocated to Adelaide after a short stint in the Northern Territory Football League to play for West Adelaide, where he kicked six goals in his two games, including four on debut.
This got the attention of AFL Academy selectors, who offered him a spot to train with Essendon earlier this year as part of the club’s Next Generation Academy program. There, he was shown around by skipper Dyson Heppell and lived with McDonald-Tipungwuti, who he said has been “a good role model”.
“He’s been a mentor to me,” Munkara said, noting how he would text him regularly throughout his season. He plays like [a] small forward in the pocket and is really smart because when the ball comes down, then you know what he can do, just kick goals."
