The Long Walk
Under the bright lights of the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday night, Northcote students experienced more than just a football game. Dreamtime at the ‘G the annual AFL game between the Richmond Tigers and the Essendon Bombers offered students a powerful reminder of sport’s ability to bring culture, community and storytelling together.
The day began at Birrarung Marr, where students joined thousands gathering for The Long Walk festivities. There was music, food and cultural learning before we gathered together with Michael Long and Anthony Albanese to walk across to the MCG for one of the most significant nights on the AFL calendar.
As VIP guests, students had the opportunity to walk onto the ground before the game, before taking their seats among more than 80,000 fans. Then came the football itself, with Richmond defeating Essendon 74–56 in a high-energy contest that capped off an unforgettable experience.
But the evening was about more than the scoreboard. Dreamtime at the ‘G continues to create space for truth-telling, recognition and celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures within one of Australia’s biggest sporting arenas. For students, it was an opportunity to witness that conversation firsthand.
Going to the Dreamtime game was an amazing experience and I'm so thankful I got to go.
-Peta Sirec
This experience was made possible through the Thrive Fund, which supports Northcote students to access cultural, wellbeing and extracurricular opportunities beyond the classroom. Families wishing to see more experiences like this can support the fund through donations to help ensure these opportunities continue into the future.