The theme for Indigenous Football Week 2024 is ‘Breaking Barriers’.

This theme is inspired by the personal journey of John Moriarty Football‘s co-founder and first Indigenous Socceroo, Yanyuwa man John Moriarty. John’s life was changed by football and education, and they led him out of poverty.

Sport is a powerful driver for educational change. Research shows that participation in organised sport is associated with higher academic performance in numeracy among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school-aged children.

JMF breaks barriers to school attendance and to improved mental and physical health. It puts children on a positive pathway so they can have a different future. 80% of surveyed educators across JMF’s 20 public schools attest to an improvement in school attendance, concentration, readiness to learn and positive behaviours on days that JMF is provided.