Team Maali Head to Indigenous Football Festival

An indigenous team from Western Australia will next month head to Townsville to take on teams from around the nation in Football Federation Australia’s (FFA) Indigenous Football Festival.

An indigenous team from Western Australia will next month head to Townsville to take on teams from around the nation in Football Federation Australia-s (FFA) Indigenous Football Festival.

The team, made up of 12 players from metropolitan and regional WA, has been selected following regional visits by FFA Indigenous Ambassador Tanya Oxtoby and team trials held in Perth earlier in June.

Coached by Football West Development Officer Willie Devlin, the team is a mix of experienced players and first timers on the field, and will be called Maali, the Aboriginal word for Black Swan.

Team manager and FFA Regional Participation Manager for WA, Ann Gourley is excited with the way the team is coming together.

“The players met for an overnight training session in Perth and by the end of the second day the players were really starting to come together as a team, learning how to work together and really enjoying the games.

“For some of the players in the team, this will be the first time they have played a competitive game of football, and for a lot of them it will be their first time out of WA, so the festival will be a fantastic experience for them all”, she said.

The team is set to head to Townsville, Queensland, from July 3-9 to participate in the festival.

For more information about FFA-s Indigenous Program and the upcoming Indigenous Football Festival, see the FFA website .www.footballaustralia.com.au.