In celebration of National Reconciliation Week the MCC is proud to share the stories and reflect on the amazing achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Held annually from May 27 to June 3, National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.March 1879 - Unaarrimin (Johnny Mullagh) plays for Victoria
A Jardwadjali man from Western Victoria, Unaarrimin (Johnny Mullagh) was a true cricketing all-rounder, widely regarded as the best of the Aboriginal XI that toured Australia and England in the late 1860s. Unaarrimin featured in 45 of the 47 matches on the 1868 tour of England, finishing with 245 wickets at 10, 1698 runs at 23.65 and also, at times, keeping wicket.Upon his return to Australia he continued to make his mark on cricket. Reflecting on Unaarimin’s performance in a first class March at the MCG in March 1879, “A Bohemian” commented in the Australasian that “The feature of the second innings was, of course, the play of Mullagh, who showed all the graceful forward play and strong defence which distinguished him in years gone by. He does not seem to play with the same power he used to, and is not, therefore, so punishing: but in other respects his play was worthy of his best days, and he certainly played Emmett with far more ease and safety than any other of our batsmen did.”
In 2020 Unaarrimin was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame and was further celebrated with the creation of the Mullagh Medal – an award given to the player of the match at the annual Boxing Day Test at the MCG.
December 2000 – Jason Gillespie’s six wickets against the Windies
Jason Gillespie played four Tests on the MCG. A South Australian pace bowler of Kamilaroi (QLD) descent, his 6/40 in the second innings of the 2000 Boxing Day Test cemented Australia’s win against the West Indies and is recorded on the Bowling Honour Board in the Australian dressing room at the MCG.Jason remains Australia’s sixth highest wicket taker is an MCC Honorary Cricket Member, having also speared at the MCG in four One Day Internationals, two Sheffield Shield matches, and three List A matches.
March 8, 2020 – Ashleigh Gardner, T20 World Champion
Although Ashleigh Gardner made her international cricket debut on the MCG in February 2017 and captained the women’s team on the 2018 Aboriginal tour of England, it is hard to go past her involvement in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Final in March 2020 as a crowning achievement for the all-rounder of Muruwuri (NSW/QLD) descent.Ashleigh and the Australian women’s side defeated India in front of a record breaking crowd of 86,174, the largest in women’s world cricket as well as for an Australian women’s sport event.
The euphoria of the team’s victory has been immortalised in an artwork by Vincent Fantauzzo which is proudly on display in the MCC Member’s Reserve and is the first artwork to depict a Women’s sporting team to be on permanent display at the MCG.
December 2021 – Scott Boland, Johnny Mullagh Medallist
A right arm fast-medium bowler of Gulidjan (VIC) ancestry, Scott Boland made history with his phenomenal Test debut at the MCG on Boxing Day 2021.Just the second Aboriginal men’s cricketer to receive a baggy green, Scott cemented his mark on the game in the second innings of the Test when he tore through England’s batting line up taking six wickets and conceding just seven runs.
The performance not only earned Scott a place on the Bowling Honour Board in the Australian dressing room at the MCG but also saw him awarded the Johnny Mullagh Medal as the best player of the match.
Prior to his Boxing Day success Scott was no stranger to the MCG, with his performances at the ground including 25 Sheffield Shield matches for Victoria, A T20 and One Day International as well as numerous appearances in the Big Bash domestic League.
October 5, 1963 – Graham “Polly” Farmer, 1963 Premiership Player
Graham “Polly” Farmer’s impact on football is undeniable. An inaugural Legend in the Australian Football Hall of Fame, a member of the AFL’s Team of the Century and Captain of the Indigenous Team of the Century, Polly revolutionised ruckwork and handballing.Although race and identity was seldom talked about at the time he played, Polly was of Noongar (WA) descent and became the first Indigenous footballer to captain and then coach a premier Club – the Geelong Football Club.
Polly played 16 VFL/AFL matches on the MCG – including Geelong’s 1963 Premiership as well as the Club’s 1967 Grand Final defeat.
His legacy extends far beyond the sporting field, with his eponymous Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer Foundation helping support and empower young Aboriginal students to pursue education and employment.
September 25, 1982 – Glenn James, Grand Final Umpire
A Yorta Yorta man, Glenn James began his umpiring career in Shepparton after an injury ended his playing career. He relocated to Melbourne to train as a teacher and join the VFL Football Umpires Association where he made an indelible mark.Glenn umpired 166 VFL/AFL games from 1977 to 1985, including the 1982 and 1984 Grand Finals at the MCG. In 1985 he was elected President of the VFL (now AFL) Umpires Association, and in 1986 was the Umpiring Careers Adviser with the Victorian Country Football League. He was an AFL Umpires Assistant Coach from 1994 to 1996.
Glenn’s contribution to the game in his trailblazing role as an Indigenous Australian umpire was further recognised when he was selected as the umpire in the Indigenous Team of the Century in 2005.
September 25, 1982 – Maurice Rioli, Norm Smith Medallist
The legacy of the Rioli name in Australian football is undeniable. Hailing from the Tiwi Islands, Maurice Rioli began his career in the Northern Territory and Western Australia before being enticed to Victoria to play with Richmond in 1982.Wearing the number 17 originally made famous by Jack Dyer, Maurice was lauded for his exquisite ball-handling skills and lightning quick reflexes which gave him the appearance of always being two steps ahead of his opponents.
In the 1982 Grand Final at the MCG, Maurice made history when he was judged the best on ground and awarded the Norm Smith Medal. It was the first time an Indigenous player had been recognised with the honour, as well as the first time a player from a losing team had been judged best afield.
Maurice played 58 VFL/AFL matches for Richmond on the MCG from 1982 to 1989, captaining the All-Australian Aboriginal team at the MCG in 1985, and was chosen as a centre for the Indigenous Team of the Century.
September 26, 1992 – Peter Matera, Norm Smith Medallist
With Noongar heritage through is mother and Italian heritage through his father, Peter Matera well and truly burst onto the Australian Football scene, finishing fourth in the Brownlow Medal and being selected for the All-Australian side in 1991 - just his second season.A year later, Peter etched his name into football folklore with his outstanding performance in the 1992 Grand Final which saw the West Coast Eagles capture their first ever Premiership and Peter awarded the Norm Smith Medal following a five-goal haul.
Peter’s career spanned 1990 to 2002 and included further MCG success with the 1994 Premiership. Peter was selected on a wing in the Indigenous Team of the Century.
September 25, 1993 – Michael Long, Norm Smith Medallist
Michael Long is a proud Anmatyerre, Maranunggu and Tiwi Aboriginal man, and a strong advocate for Indigenous rights and against racism in sport.His stance against being racially abused by an opponent in the 1996 ANZAC Day match at the MCG led directly to the establishment of the AFL’s anti-vilification rules and he continues to advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through The Long Walk.
Michael played 91 games for Essendon at the MCG, including their 1993 and 2000 Premiership victories, and is a member of the Indigenous Team of the Century. His performance in the 1993 Grand Final against saw him judged best afield and he was presented the Norm Smith Medal by Maurice Rioli.
September 26, 1998 – Andrew McLeod, Dual Norm Smith Medallist
Hailing from the Northern Territory Andrew McLeod is a legend of the Adelaide Crows.From 1995 to 2010 he played 38 matches at the MCG, the most notable of which were the 1997 and 1998 Grand Finals. Not only did Adelaide take home the Premiership Cup on both occasions, but Andrew was also awarded the Norm Smith Medal and deemed the best player afield in both matches. He was only the second player to ever win more than one Norm Smith Medal and was the first to be awarded the significant accolade in consecutive years.
With both Aboriginal and Twi Islander roots, Andrew was fittingly selected as the ruck-rover in the Indigenous Team of the Century.
September 25, 2004 – Byron Pickett, Norm Smith Medallist
Byron Pickett is known as a big-game AFL player and one of the greatest Aboriginal players in the history of the game.Hailing from Western Australia, Pickett’s mother is from the Badimaya people around Mount Magnet, whilst his father is from the Balardung people south-east of Perth.
Playing 204 AFL matches for North Melbourne, Port Adelaide and Melbourne, Pickett shone on the MCG stage, playing 75 games on the MCG, including two premierships – in 1999 with North Melbourne and 2004 with Port Adelaide.
During the latter premiership, Pickett was awarded the Norm Smith Medal for his best-on-ground performance, finishing the match with 20 disposals and three goals.
August 27, 2006 – Eddie Betts, AFL Goal of the Year
Eddie Betts was a dynamic forward pocket with a keen goal-sense.The 350-gamer has a number of accolades to his name, including four AFL Goal of the Year awards, three-time All-Australian selection and was also a six-time leading goalkicker for his Club – four times with Carlton and twice with Adelaide.
During his second season of AFL, Betts booted the 2006 AFL Goal of the Year at the MCG, after intercepting a handball deep in the Punt Road end pocket and goaled from the boundary line.
Betts played 93 matches at the MCG throughout his career prior to his retirement in 2021.
His impact to the game of football extends far beyond his on-field achievements. A proud Aboriginal Australian - with his mother from Gubrun (WA) people, and father the Nunga (SA) people – Betts has passionately spoken out about the racism he has faced throughout his life.
June 18, 2010 – Lance Franklin, AFL Goal of the Year
Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin, is one of the most dangerous forwards the game has produced.To the beginning of the 2022 AFL Premiership Season, Franklin has played 318 AFL games for Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans – 108 of which have been at the MCG.
Amongst Buddy’s highlights at the ‘G is undoubtedly the 2008 and 2013 Premiership victories with Hawthorn, however he also has a number of individual accolades from the ground.
In 2010 and 2013 he was recognised with the AFL Goal of the Year with both kicks taking place at the MCG – and both long-range goals from the MCG’s Punt Road end.
A proud Whadjuk-Noongar (WA) man, Buddy has eight All-Australian inclusions, four Coleman Medals, is a twelve-time leading goalkicker for his Club – six with Hawthorn and six with the Swans – leaving no doubt he is one of the game’s greatest.
October 3, 2015 – Cyril Rioli , Norm Smith Medallist
An extremely talented footballer from the Tiwi Islands, Cyril Rioli made his debut with Hawthorn in 2008 and quickly made it a season to remember as he played every game that year, culminating in the Grand Final and a Premiership victory.Coming from a family of talented footballers, Cyril is famed for his overhead ability, strong tackling and ball use. Cyril was a formidable force during Hawthorn’s dominant period from 2013-2015 and is a quadruple AFL Premiership player.
In his final Grand Final appearance in 2015, Cyril was named Norm Smith Medallist, finishing the match with two goals and 18 disposals.
September 30, 2023 - Ian "Bobby" Hill, Norm Smith Medallist
Bobby Hill's performance in the 2023 AFL Grand Final is the stuff of football legends. A mere six months after returning to the game following his recovery from testicular cancer, and in his first season with Collingwood, Hill delivered a blistering performance in the Grand Final which saw him leave the 'G with not only a Premiership Medal but also the Norm Smith Medal.A proud a Whadjuk Ballardong Noongar man, Hill dominated the first half of the game with a blistering four-goal effort and a high-flying grab that would have easily been a mark of the year contender.
Polling 15 votes, the maximum possible, he became Collingwood's fourth Norm Smith Medallist in just his 23rd game for the Club.
June 8, 1994 – Laurie Daley, State of Origin II
Laurie Daley was known for his attacking brilliance and reliable defence in a decorated rugby career.Laurie, who is connected to the Wiradjuri (NSW) people through his mother’s family, was only a teenager when he made his first appearance for New South Wales in State of Origin.
Across his career he would go on to represent the Blues on 26 occasions. Uniquely, Laurie has recorded State of Origin victories at the MCG as both a player and a coach; in 1994 as captain and in 2015 as coach.
Laurie is a member of the National Rugby League Hall of Fame and was selected in the Rugby League Indigenous Team of the Century.
June 17, 2015 – Johnathan Thurston, State of Origin II
Jonathan Thurston’s status of one of the great of Rugby League is unquestioned. The Gungarri man from south-west Queensland is an Australian international, Queensland State of Origin and Indigenous All Stars representative.In 2015, he became the first ever four-time Dally M Medallist for the NRL season's best player, and later that year, the first ever three-time winner of the Golden Boot Award for the world's best player.
While his Maroon’s were bested by the Blues in the 2015 State of Origin Game II played at the MCG in front of a crowd of more than 91,000 fans, Queensland went on to win the overall series and Jonathan broke the record for the most points ever scored in a series.
Jonathan was selected as half back in the Rugby League Indigenous Team of the Century.
June 6, 2015/2018 – Greg Inglis, State of Origin
In a Rugby League career spanning 14 years, Greg Inglis recorded countless individual and team achievements, including a Golden Boot Award, two Premierships and inclusion in the Rugby League Indigenous Team of the Century.Highly skilled and dominant in multiple positions, Greg starred in 32 games for Queensland and 39 appearances for Australia.
He represented the Maroons in State of Origin at the MCG on two occasions, in 2015 and as captain in 2018.
A Dunghutti man, the image of Greg celebrating the final try in a drought-breaking Premiership win for the South Sydney Rabbitoh’s in 2014 is etched in Rugby League folklore. The Goanna crawl became Greg’s trademark and highlighted his proud Indigenous heritage.
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