Dreamtime at the 'G
Encyclopedia
Dreamtime at the 'G is an annual Australian rules football
match between Australian Football League
clubs and .
The name of the match comes from Australian Aboriginal mythology
The Dreaming or Dreamtime
and the Australian
, but more specifically Victorian, colloquial reference to the Melbourne Cricket Ground
, the 'G, where the match takes place.
Since the 2007 season
the match has been held on Saturday night of the AFL's Indigenous Round (round 9).
The winning club is awarded the Kevin Sheedy Cup and the best player on the ground is awarded the Yiooken Award.
From 2006, the Yiooken Award has been awarded to the player judged best on ground in the match. In 2007, following the success of the Dreamtime at the 'G match in 2005 and 2006, the AFL nominated a specific Indigenous Round (round 9) which has become an annual event in which the Dreamtime at the 'G match takes centre stage.
to the Melbourne Cricket Ground
to promote reconciliation.
and Kev Carmody
.
Wins
Richmond: 4
Essendon: 3
, 1973
and 1974
Premiership teams. He won the 1976 best & fairest award
, captained the club in 1978, was named on their Team of the Century at left back-pocket and inducted into the Richmond Hall of Fame in 2002. He retired in 1979.
He then went on to coach Essendon from 1981 to 2007, amassing 635 games as coach and led the club to Premierships in 1984
, 1985
, 1993
& 2000
. He was named as coach of the Essendon Team of the Century.
Sheedy's strong connection with both Essendon and Richmond, as well as his nurturing of Australian indigenous players as coach of Essendon, led to the Cup being named after him.
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
match between Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
clubs and .
The name of the match comes from Australian Aboriginal mythology
Australian Aboriginal mythology
Australian Aboriginal myths are the stories traditionally performed by Aboriginal peoples within each of the language groups across Australia....
The Dreaming or Dreamtime
Dreamtime
In the animist framework of Australian Aboriginal mythology, The Dreaming is a sacred era in which ancestral Totemic Spirit Beings formed The Creation.-The Dreaming of the Aboriginal times:...
and the Australian
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, but more specifically Victorian, colloquial reference to the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
, the 'G, where the match takes place.
Since the 2007 season
2007 AFL season
The 2007 AFL Season was the 111th season of the Australian Football League, the highest-level professional Australian rules football league in Australia...
the match has been held on Saturday night of the AFL's Indigenous Round (round 9).
The winning club is awarded the Kevin Sheedy Cup and the best player on the ground is awarded the Yiooken Award.
History
Dreamtime at the 'G was first held in 2005, with the aim being to celebrate the contribution of all indigenous players to the AFL. Essendon and Richmond were chosen to play in the match because their combined jumper colours - red, yellow and black - make up the colours of the Aboriginal Flag.From 2006, the Yiooken Award has been awarded to the player judged best on ground in the match. In 2007, following the success of the Dreamtime at the 'G match in 2005 and 2006, the AFL nominated a specific Indigenous Round (round 9) which has become an annual event in which the Dreamtime at the 'G match takes centre stage.
Notable matches
- Round 6, 2006 saw Richmond escape with a two-point victory over Essendon after Jarrad Oakley-NichollsJarrad Oakley-NichollsJarrad Oakley-Nicholls is an Australian rules footballer currently playing with the East Perth Football Club in the West Australian Football League . He previously played for in the Australian Football League , and was also rookie-listed at .He was pick 8 overall in the 2005 Draft, from East...
scored the match winning behind with minutes remaining in the final quarter. - Round 9, 2007: With just under five minutes remaining, Richmond had a 12 point lead, which was pulled back by Essendon to level the match at 84-apiece (Richmond 12.12.(84) - Essendon 11.18.(84)). Tigers full-forward Matthew Richardson thought he had kicked the match winning goal but it was pulled back after Richardson had pushed his opponent in the back prior to kicking the goal. Richmond were subsequently slapped with a 50-metre penalty50-metre penaltyIn the sport of Australian Rules Football, the 50-metre penalty is applied by umpires to a number of different infractions when a free kick or mark has already been paid.Some leagues and competitions use a 25-metre penalty...
, and Essendon kicked the last 1.2.(8) of the match to win the game by eight points and deny Richmond what would have been their first win of the 2007 season.
The Long Walk
The match is associated with the pre-game ritual "The Long Walk" http://www.thelongwalk.com.au/, which is a reconciliation program spearheaded by indigenous former Essendon player Michael Long. Prior to the game, Long and several other participants walk from Federation SquareFederation Square
Federation Square is a civic centre and cultural precinct in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
to the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Melbourne Cricket Ground
The Melbourne Cricket Ground is an Australian sports stadium located in Yarra Park, Melbourne and is home to the Melbourne Cricket Club. It is the tenth largest stadium in the world, the largest in Australia, the largest stadium for playing cricket, and holds the world record for the highest light...
to promote reconciliation.
Curtain Raiser
A curtain-raiser match is held between two Indigenous football teams from around Australia and its territories.| Year | Match/Series Name | Team | Team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | West Australian Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east... Clontarf Aboriginal Academy Clontarf Foundation The Clontarf Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that exists to improve the education, discipline, self esteem, life skills and employment prospects of young Aboriginal men and by doing so, equip them to participate more meaningfully in society... Western Australia |
vs | Victorian Indigenous Victoria |
||
| 2006 | No curtain-raiser match | No curtain-raiser match | |||
| 2007 | Tiwi Bombers Tiwi Islands Football Club The Tiwi Islands Football Club, nicknamed, Bombers, began as a representative club competing in the Northern Territory Football League 2006/07 season.The club is notable as being the first all-Aboriginal team to play in a major competition.... Tiwi Islands Tiwi Islands The Tiwi Islands are part of Australia's Northern Territory, north of Darwin where the Arafura Sea joins the Timor Sea. They comprise Melville Island and Bathurst Island, with a combined area of .... |
vs | Rumbalara Rumbalara Football Club The Rumbalara Football Club, nicknamed Rumba, is an Australian Rules Football club playing in the Murray Football League since 2006.The club is based in the city of Shepparton located in the north of Victoria. The club is affiliated with the Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-Operative... Shepparton Shepparton, Victoria Shepparton is a city located on the floodplain of the Goulburn River in the north east of Victoria, Australia approximately north-east of Melbourne. It is the fifth largest city in Victoria, Australia. The estimated population of Shepparton's statistical area is 48,926.It began as a sheep station... , Central Victoria |
||
| 2008 | Santa Teresa (Ltyentye Apurte) Alice Springs, Northern Territory Alice Springs, Northern Territory Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated in the geographic centre of Australia near the southern border of the Northern Territory... |
vs | Fitzroy Stars Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater... |
||
| 2009 | Imalu Tigers Tiwi Islands Tiwi Islands The Tiwi Islands are part of Australia's Northern Territory, north of Darwin where the Arafura Sea joins the Timor Sea. They comprise Melville Island and Bathurst Island, with a combined area of .... |
vs | Brambuk Eels Western Victoria Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively.... |
||
| 2010 | Rio Tinto Challenge Cup | Northern Northern Australia Northern Australia The term northern Australia is generally known to include two State and Territories, being Queensland and the Northern Territory . The part of Western Australia north of latitude 26° south—a definition widely used in law and State government policy—is also usually included... |
vs | Southern Southern Australia Southern Australia The term southern Australia is generally considered to include the States and territories of Australia of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory... |
|
Pre-match ceremony
Each year the game is preceded by an extravagant indigenous-based music and entertainment show. Performers in 2008 included Paul KellyPaul Kelly (musician)
Paul Maurice Kelly is an Australian rock music singer-songwriter, guitarist, and harmonica player. He has performed solo, and has led numerous groups, including the Dots, the Coloured Girls, and the Messengers. He has worked with other artists and groups, including associated projects Professor...
and Kev Carmody
Kev Carmody
Kevin Daniel "Kev" Carmody is an Indigenous Australian singer-songwriter. His song "From Little Things Big Things Grow" was recorded with co-writer Paul Kelly for their 1993 single; it was covered by the Get Up Mob in 2008 and peaked at #4 on the Australian Recording Industry Association singles...
.
Match results
| Year | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Score | Attendance | Yiooken Award Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 2005 AFL season Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2005.See List of Australian Football League premiers for a complete list.-National Cup:... |
14.8 (92) | 9.12 (66) | 49,975 | - | ||
| 2006 2006 AFL season Results and statistics for the Australian Football League season of 2006.-National Cup: 3.10.5 defeated 1.10.15 in the 2006 NAB Cup Final... |
13.17 (95) | 13.19 (97) | 58,439 | Dean Polo Dean Polo Dean Polo is an Australian rules footballer who plays for St Kilda in the Australian Football League .Polo was drafted by the Richmond Football Club with the 20th selection in the 2004 AFL Draft.... |
||
| 2007 2007 AFL season The 2007 AFL Season was the 111th season of the Australian Football League, the highest-level professional Australian rules football league in Australia... |
12.12 (84) | 12.20 (92) | 61,837 | James Hird James Hird James Hird is a former professional Australian rules footballer and the current coach of the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League.... |
||
| 2008 2008 AFL season -Round 1 :-Round 2:-Round 3 :-Round 4:-Round 5:-Round 6 :-Round 7:-AFL Hall of Fame Tribute Match:-Round 8:... |
10.12 (72) | 16.14 (110) | 60,333 | Nathan Foley Nathan Foley (footballer) Nathan Foley is an Australian rules football player. He plays as a midfielder for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League .... |
||
| 2009 2009 AFL season -Round 1 :-Round 2:-Round 3 :-Round 4:-Round 5 :-Round 6:-Round 7:-Round 8:-Round 9 :-Round 10:... |
12.13 (85) | 19.11 (125) | 73,625 | Jason Winderlich Jason Winderlich Jason Winderlich is an Australian rules footballer, who plays as a midfielder for Essendon in the Australian Football League .... |
||
| 2010 2010 AFL season -Premiership season:The draw for the 2010 AFL Premiership Season is not a random selection of matches, but rather is planned by the AFL. It is intended to produce a balanced draw while also providing the fans and television networks with blockbuster games. In a competition with 16 teams and 22... |
19.16 (130) | 14.11 (95) | 64,709 | David Hille David Hille David Hille is an Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League.He debuted in 2001 with the Essendon Football Club and has been a solid ruckman for a number of years.... |
||
| 2011 2011 AFL season The 2011 Australian Football League season was the 115th season of the Australian rules football competition. It was the debut year for , and was scheduled to be the only season to be played with 17 teams... |
16.9 (105) | 13.11 (89) | 83,563 | Trent Cotchin Trent Cotchin Trent William Cotchin is an Australian rules football player who was recruited at pick 2 in the 2007 AFL Draft by the Richmond Football Club. He was recruited from the Northern Knights under 18 football club, which made the preliminary finals of the 2007 TAC Cup competition... |
Wins
Richmond: 4
Essendon: 3
Kevin Sheedy Cup
Kevin Sheedy played 251 games for Richmond as, primarily, a back-pocket player, kicking 91 goals. He played in their 19691969 VFL Grand Final
The 1969 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Carlton Football Club and Richmond Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 27 September 1969. It was the 73rd annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
, 1973
1973 VFL Grand Final
The 1973 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Richmond Football Club and Carlton Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 29 September 1973. It was the 77th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
and 1974
1974 VFL Grand Final
The 1974 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Richmond Football Club and North Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 28 September 1974. It was the 78th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to...
Premiership teams. He won the 1976 best & fairest award
Jack Dyer Medal
The Jack Dyer Medal is an Australian rules football award given each season to the player or players adjudged Best and Fairest for the Richmond Football Club....
, captained the club in 1978, was named on their Team of the Century at left back-pocket and inducted into the Richmond Hall of Fame in 2002. He retired in 1979.
He then went on to coach Essendon from 1981 to 2007, amassing 635 games as coach and led the club to Premierships in 1984
1984 VFL Grand Final
The 1984 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Essendon Football Club and Hawthorn Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 29 September 1984. It was the 88th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
, 1985
1985 VFL Grand Final
The 1985 VFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Essendon Football Club and Hawthorn Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 28 September 1985. It was the 89th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League, staged to determine...
, 1993
1993 AFL Grand Final
The 1993 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Essendon Football Club and Carlton Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 25 September 1993. It was the 97th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football...
& 2000
2000 AFL Grand Final
The 2000 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football game contested between the Essendon Football Club and the Melbourne Football Club, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne on 2 September 2000. It was the 104th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian...
. He was named as coach of the Essendon Team of the Century.
Sheedy's strong connection with both Essendon and Richmond, as well as his nurturing of Australian indigenous players as coach of Essendon, led to the Cup being named after him.
See also
- Indigenous Team of the CenturyIndigenous Team of the CenturyThe Indigenous Team of the Century was selected to recognise the role of Indigenous Australians in the sport. It was announced in 2005 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first senior game played by an indigenous player, Fitzroy's Joe Johnson...
- Indigenous All-Stars (Australian rules football)