Wrap up of Indigenous Football Week 2023

Thank you to everyone involved in Indigenous Football Week® 2023 (IFW23). This year we celebrated Li-ngambala wiji which translates to ‘community’ in Yanyuwa language as spoken by families in Borroloola, Gulf of Carpentaria, NT.

As a grassroots program, a key strength of John Moriarty Football (JMF) is how deeply we are embedded in the local communities we deliver in. Drawing on the cultural strengths of our local teams and community advisory groups, made up of local elders, Traditional Owners and community members, JMF embodies self-determination to address the extreme social disadvantage and barriers to football opportunity Indigenous players face.

JMF’s pathways from grassroots to elite football begins at the community level, by supporting talented young Indigenous footballers within their own communities to develop their football skills and do well at school.

IFW23, a John Moriarty Football (JMF) initiative, in partnership with adidas, A-Leagues and Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) was celebrated across the Isuzu UTE A-League Men and Liberty A-League Women, as well as in JMF communities and schools across NT, NSW and Queensland.

IFW23 Patron and prominent Indigenous footballer, David Williams, was announced as the newest member of the Indigenous Football Australia™ Council that oversees the strategy and national expansion of JMF.

“I’ve been a long time admirer of the impact John Moriarty Football (JMF)  is having in remote and regional communities with Indigenous kids and families. As a member of the Indigenous Football Australia Council, I look forward to sharing my unique insights and experience to help JMF reach even more kids and communities and continue to change lives for the better,” said Williams.