Widders and Peachey Attend Apology to Stolen Generation
13 Feb 2008
South Sydney Rabbitohs representatives Dean Widders and David Peachey were joined by North Queensland’s Matt Bowen and Melbourne’s Greg Inglis in Canberra today, and have spoken of their pride at being Rugby League’s representatives at the Federal Parliament’s national apology to the Stolen Generation.
The players witnessed the historic moment from the Parliament Gallery before joining Prime Minister Kevin Rudd for a reception.
Widders, whose grandmother was a member of the Stolen Generation, said the national apology was a challenge for all Australians to work together to improve their communities.
“Aboriginal people need to look at it as a start rather than an end,” the South Sydney Rabbitohs forward said.
“It should be treated respectfully and as a commencement of big and new improvements in society.
“All Australians – Indigenous and non-Indigenous – need to work hard at achieving these improvements for the common good.
“We all need to not only say the right things, we need to do the right things.”
Peachey, who has worked tirelessly for Indigenous communities throughout his football career, said the national apology was “a special moment of significance.”
“It won’t heal all the wounds but it is a step into the future,” Peachey said.
“It’s all about moving forward.”
Bowen, who hails from the remote North Queensland community of Hope Vale, said he was proud to represent his family and his club at the historic event.
“It is a huge honour for me personally but I hope I can also represent the people of North Queensland,” the Cowboys fullback said.
“My grandparents were from the Stolen Generation.
“I haven’t told my parents yet but I hope my being there will be special for them, too.”
Inglis, the Storm’s 2007 Clive Churchill Medal winner, agreed: “Tomorrow can be a new day for all of us. All we need is a new attitude and a fresh start.
“Saying sorry gives us that opportunity.”
The national apology comes just weeks after Rugby League became the first Australian sport to launch its own National Reconciliation Plan which commits to a blue-print for helping indigenous athletes make the most of their professional careers while also assisting development in local communities through involvement in Rugby League and through the promotion of education programmes in those communities.
Widders, Bowen and Inglis are among the players who are an advisory group for the plan, which brings together the individual efforts of these players with game-wide programmes to promote cultural awareness, reading programmes, healthy lifestyles, Women in League programmes, regional competitions and elite athlete development.
The South Sydney Football Club has long and distinguished link with the indigenous community.
Renowned Rugby League historian Ian Heads put together this history of the link between the Club and the Aboriginal community.
The link that exists between South Sydney Rugby League Club – the famous Rabbitohs … The Pride of the League’ – and the Aboriginal community of the district goes back so far it is almost lost in the mists of time.
It has been a wonderful and mutually beneficial partnership through 76 seasons …and maybe longer. Over the years the club has been, season by season, a provider of opportunity for young Aboriginal players ……..and in turn the ranks of the countless talented indigenous players who have answered the call have been a continual boost to the red and green cause, adding verve and excitement to the playing style of the Rabbitohs. The stories of champion Aboriginal players are dotted through the history of the club.
The beginning of one of the great symbiotic relationships of rugby league came, perhaps, in 1930 – the season when the Redfern All Blacks Club was formed. The records and stories of that club tell of enthusiastic and fruitful recruitment in rural district in early years – and especially in such places as Kempsie, Walgett and south Queensland. Legendary names dot the ranks ….the likes of Ambrose Morgan and Tony and Mick Mundine. It is a story dotted with many trophies and much success, the club has been a small but vitally important nursery for Souths over the years.
The tradition of Aboriginal players donning the famous red and green jumper and heading into battle in the name of South Sydney can be traced back to that club. In seasons 1938-39 a full back named Dick Johnson, who came from the small town of Currabubula was, very likely the first Aboriginal to play first grade with Souths – and genuine star of his time, good enough to play for NSW in both of his seasons with the club.
Since the 1950s when men such as Charlie Donovan and then Eric Robinson played with distinction at Redfern, Souths have probably never been without Aboriginal players through the grades.
Champions have emerged…… and players of character and rare talent have been dotted the ranks.
The list goes on:
Johnson, Donovan, Robinson, Eric Ferguson, David Grant, the Longbottoms, Graham Lyons, Tom Moylan, Les Biles, Buddy Kain, Tom Moylan, Darrell Trindall, Brad Webb, Claude Williams……….all the way to today’s bearers of the flag such as Nathan Merritt, Buddy Gordon and Dean Widders…..
There would be little (probably no!) dispute that the champion and dux of such a class would have to be the peerless goalkicker and full back Eric Simms (1965-75) who moved with his family from Raymond Terrace to La Perouse when he was 14….. and set about building a legendary rugby league career. By the time he left Souths in 1976 he had broken countless records – and accumulated 1841 first grade points for the club. He is remembered as one of the great goal kickers of the game’s history – and so proficient was he as a kicker of field goals as well in the late 1960s - that the game’s authorities eventually reduced the value of the field goal from two points to one (1971).
There with Simms at Souths in the early days of his career there (1967-69) was one of the great characters – and most spectacular long-range goalkickers - the game had ever seen – Kevin `Lummy’ Longbottom. The sight of the burly Longbottom booting goals from half way or beyond was a marvel of the era.
All the players mentioned here – and many, many others – added to the `character’ that has made South Sydney club so special down the years. The Souths tradition from the formation days early in the 20th century to play a spectacular `running game’ suited many quick-footed indigenous players perfectly. The sight of Nathan Merritt racing away for yet another try in this brilliant individual year of achievement recalls all of that. Nathan has worked wonders on the wing for the Rabbitohs of 2006. If, as seems likely, he finished at the head of the season’s try-scoring list it will be a unique and extraordinary rugby league feat.
And for Souths, a club heading into a bright new era….…the tradition will continue.
Both groups – the rugby league club and the Aboriginal community of the district -
look back with a deep sense of pride on the things achieved through more than 70 years of `working together’. It is a story of harmony ..and opportunity presented and taken…and of wonderful outcomes…..
This side of the South Sydney story is one of the great ones of Australian sport – of different cultures working together seamlessly…as one……..and of the sum being even greater than the two parts: i.e. thrilling football in the many years of Souths high achievement.
I am delighted to say the partnership survives and thrives ….and will as long as men wear the cardinal and myrtle of the most famous rugby league club of them all.