Boots for Community Kids – show your support

AFL North Coast is throwing its support behind former Sawtell Juniors President Jade Collon in her project to provide footy boots to kids in a remote Indigenous community in the Northern Territory.

Jade has been working as a Community and Youth Mentor in Nauiyu, a remote community in the Daly River region where the kids are absolutely mad for footy. The kids are enthusiastic and talented but the vast majority have no access to footy boots, so some play in joggers, others in bare feet.

Jade’s work in the community was in conjunction with Dr Miriam Rose who is a respected elder and teacher from Nauiyu and was named as Senior Australian of the Year in 2021.

“Spending time with Miriam and this beautiful community I listened to their love for footy and saw a need that as a community we can help with. The Banatjarl Strongbala Wimun Grup operating in Katherine also contributes and engages with kids in community and will also benefit from receiving some much needed help to get kids lacing up and playing footy”, Jade said.

How can you help?

Jade and Miriam are asking for donations of new or used boots, boots you’ve outgrown or no longer use, but that are still in reasonable condition.

AFL North Coast clubs have agreed to act as collection points, so once lockdown lifts you can make contact with your footy club to find a suitable time and place to drop the boots off. The clubs and League will get the boots to Jade so that she can send them on to Nauiyu.

Paul Taylor, Community Football and Competition Manager, said that this is a powerful and tangible way that people on the North Coast can support an Indigenous community. “Our clubs have been fantastic with the way they’ve supported Indigenous Round over the past few years. This is a way that we as individuals, clubs, and a local footy community can provide needed support to another community that shares the same love of footy that we do.

“We still plan to get back on the oval and complete our Finals Series, but as your team finishes its season, please consider whether the boots you wore in 2021 will be needed next season or whether they could go to someone with a much greater need.”