Emma Garlett: New crop of Indigenous players look to join premiership legends ahead of AFL grand final

It’s grand final time again and this time, it’s the Sydney Swans and the Brisbane Lions doing battle at the MCG. The last time these two teams went against each other for our game’s ultimate prize was in 1899, when the competition was the VFL and the clubs were based in South Melbourne and Fitzroy respectively. Some of the Indigenous greats who played for these teams have become household names. Adam Goodes for the Swans and Des Headland for the Lions, as examples. This Saturday, there’s an opportunity for a new generation of Indigenous players to take their place as premiership heroes. There are 71 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players in the AFL this season. Of those 71, six feature in the lists for the Swans and Lions. The Swans have three Indigenous players on their roster: Hamling, Indhi Kirk and Cooper Vickery. Hamling hasn’t played a game for Sydney this season. Kirk and Vickery are rookies from the 2023 and 2022 drafts respectively and are both yet to make it on the field. Hopefully, their time will come one day. But if we’re looking for Indigenous premiership glory, it’s the Lions you should be backing. Callum Ah Chee Lions forward Callum Ah Chee has had an amazing season, playing 25 games. A proud Noongar, Nyikina and Yawuru man, Ah Chee was born in the WA town of Derby, before moving to the Perth suburb of Armadale with his family when he was three. Ah Chee is also of Dutch and Chinese heritage, and is proud of his diverse background. He is one of six boys in the Ah Chee family, and one of two AFL players in the family. Older brother Brendon Ah Chee played for West Coast and Port Adelaide, and now plays for South Fremantle in the WAFL. Ah Chee’s career started at the South Fremantle Football club in the WAFL at the age of 17, before being drafted into the Gold Coast Suns in 2016. Making the move to Brisbane Lions in 2020, Ah Chee has now played 142 games for the club. Ah Chee’s recent performance against Geelong in the finals had crowds in a frenzy, scoring a late fourth-quarter goal to put Brisbane in front and win the game. Charles Cameron Charles Cameron is an AFL great, and may continue his stellar career in this year’s grand final. A Lardil Waanyi man from Mount Isa in Queensland, Cameron grew up on the remote Mornington Island (Kunhanhaa) in the Gulf of Carpentaria. The island is home to the Lardil people, famous for their expressions of Indigenous culture through dancing and artwork. Cameron went to school in Brisbane before moving with his family to Newman when he was 17. He started his career here in Perth, playing for Swan Districts Football Club in 2013 in the WAFL before being drafted into the Adelaide Crows in 2014. Moving back to his home team the Brisbane Lions in 2018, Cameron has since played a whopping 228 games for the club, scoring 403 goals. His career highlights include a 2015 Rising Star nomination, two All-Australian team appearances in 2019 and 2023, and multiple seasons as the Brisbane Lions’ leading goalkicker. Keidean Coleman A special mention goes to Keidean Coleman, rising star in the Brisbane Lions. Keidean unfortunately suffered an ACL injury in round 1, putting him out of action for rest of the season. Debuting for the Brisbane Lions in 2020, the Brisbane defender rose to prominence in 2023 with an outstanding season. Coleman ended 2023 as the runner-up to the Norm Smith medal and an intimidating 62 tackles. A proud Dalabon man from the tiny community of Barunga in the Northern Territory, Coleman moved to Brisbane when he was nine. While he won’t be on the field on Saturday, there’s no doubt he has a bright future ahead of him when he returns from injury. I am excited to see the final teams picked for this year’s premiership, and I hope to see these First Nations boys out on the field representing our people.