The Curtain Raiser to the West Coast Eagles’ Indigenous Round fixture against North Melbourne on the WA Day long weekend provided an opportunity for Western Desert teams Yuparra and Kakarra to compete for the Western Desert Shield.

The Western Desert Shield is one of many programs and events delivered by the Martu council known as Ngurra Kujungka. The council leads the development and delivery of the Western Desert’s first community-driven, regional sport and recreation program catering for remote communities – Punmu, Warralong, Jigalong, Nullagine, Kiwirrkurra, Parnngurr and Kunawaritji.

As well as participating in the game itself, the participants also visited the West Coast Eagles Football Club for a tour of the facilities. Past Indigenous greats Phil Narkle and Chris Lewis, and current Indigenous players Josh Hill and Malcolm Karpany shared their own personal experiences in the AFL and detailed the challenges faced by Aboriginal players in balancing cultural and AFL commitments.