In June 2011 international football's focus was on Germany and the FIFA Women's World Cup, but there was another tournament happening on the other side of the globe as Football Federation Australia presented the 2011 Indigenous Football Festival in Alice Springs.
In June 2011 international football's focus was on Germany and the FIFA Women's World Cup, but there was another tournament happening on the other side of the globe as Football Federation Australia presented the 2011 Indigenous Football Festival in Alice Springs.
More than 150 young Australians played in the 3-day carnival, comprising six girls and six boys teams. They were all part of the No School No Play program and they represented all corners of their country - Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin and Alice Springs as well as Geraldton in Western Australia, Moree in rural NSW and Borroloola, one of Australia's remotest communities, in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
On Sunday August 14 at 4pm SBS presents a one-hour documentary which follows the individual journeys of the festival participants, bonded by their shared heritage and united by football. Some had never played the round ball game before but others like Borroloola Cyclones star Philip O'Keefe and coach Alistair Evans are already on the road to a football future - during the festival both were invited to play for A-League feeder clubs in Adelaide.
The documentary showcases the talent indigenous players can offer the world game, but as their stories unfold we learn this festival is about so much more than football.