It is also fitting that the inaugural 'Dreamtime at the G' game falls during NAIDOC week – the nationwide celebration of the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders.
Indigenous footballers are playing an increasingly important role in AFL football. Twenty-five years ago there were just nine Aboriginals playing AFL football – today there are 52-listed Aboriginal players.
Names such as Rioli, Long and Wanganeen have paved the way for the new breed – Tambling, Krakouer and Lovett. And increasingly these are the players bringing the fans through the gate.
Rival coaches Terry Wallace and Kevin Sheedy believe Dreamtime at the G will become a permanent fixture on the AFL calendar – an Anzac Day-style blockbuster that is a must see for fans of both clubs and football fans in general.
""It’s a real honor for our club to participate in this inaugural Dreamtime at the G match and I sincerely hope this is the start of an important AFL tradition,"" Wallace said.
""There’s no doubt that the explosion of Indigenous talent on to the AFL stage over the past two decades has been fantastic for our competition, and the game in general.
""Giving this match such special branding, in NAIDOC week, is a fitting tribute to the impact that Indigenous players have made in capturing the imagination of the football public over the years.""
Kevin Sheedy was equally enthusiastic about the Dreamtime at the G concept.
""This game has the capacity to have the significance of Anzac Day, and I expect this match will only grow in stature with time. It is about celebrating what the Indigenous players have given our game and the bridge that AFL football can build between these two cultures,"" Sheedy said.
""What better way of recognising what the Indigenous players have done for this game than by playing a match between the teams whose combined colors make up the Aboriginal flag.
""The fans should get right behind this game and pay tribute to the Indigenous players that have given them so much joy over the years. Essendon and Richmond fans have the opportunity to make this their day.""
Throughout AFL/VFL history, there have been 148 Indigenous players. They have played in a combined total of 33 Grand Finals, won 36 premierships between them, collected six Norm Smith Medals, have twice won the Brownlow Medal and have three times been inducted into the AFL’s Hall of Fame.
A day of celebration is planned and among the highlights will be the curtain-raiser to the main game. The next crop of Indigenous AFL stars will be on display when the West Australian Clontarf Aboriginal Academy takes on a combined Victorian Indigenous side.
This will become a must see game for Essendon and Richmond fans for years to come.
