Dreamtime at the G

A few weeks ago twenty-eight Koorie students from Shepparton High School, McGuire Secondary College, Wanganui Park Secondary College and Mooroopna Secondary College, were picked from a traditional dance try-out session in Mooroopna to dance at the Opening Ceremony of the Dreamtime at the G.  Ten of us were picked from Shepparton High alone!

During the morning of the 30th May, we travelled to Melbourne to spend the day practicing our dance routine on the actual oval of the MCG.  Just being on the oval and looking around to where everybody would be sitting later that night was an experience!

While we were practicing we met Troy Casser-Daley and even had our picture taken with him (above).

Although it felt like the longest day ever, walking out onto the oval that night and dancing in front of thousands of people would have to be the most nerve racking - but best experience of my life!!

The blockbuster match (Essendon vs Richmond), is always played at the MCG and takes center stage on the Saturday night of the Indigenous round.  The game attracts a crowd of 80,000 people and a TV audience in excess of 1 million viewers.  

The two teams have been playing in this celebration game since 2005, and were selected because together, the team colours black, yellow and red make up the colours of the Aboriginal flag.

Another Koorie student from here danced with another group at the Richmond FC for the VFL opening of the Indigenous Round and also at Federation Square.

Lindsay Bryant  

Year 12