Tiwi Islander Lindsay Moreen targets back-to-back Southern Football League premierships with Noarlunga

LINDSAY Moreen hunts turtles and mudcrabs when he is home in the Tiwi Islands — now he wants to hunt another premiership with his Noarlunga Football Club “brothers”.

LINDSAY Moreen hunts turtles, dugongs and mudcrabs when he is home in the Tiwi Islands.

In Adelaide, he wants to hunt another premiership next year with his Noarlunga Football Club “brothers”.

Moreen, 19, capped his remarkable journey this year from Milikapiti, a Northern Territory coastal village of fewer than 400 people, to the Shoes with a Southern Football League grand final win on September 20.

The speedy wingman overcame a bout of early-season homesickness to boot 45 goals from 19 games, including two in the flag decider.

“It was strange when I first came down,” Moreen says.

“It took me three or four weeks to get to know the boys personally but it took off from there and we became brothers.

“It was the best feeling after the siren went.”

Moreen – the cousin of former Melbourne player Austin Wonaeamirri – has lived on the Tiwi Islands all his life.

Growing up, his spare time included kicking the footy with older brothers Rodney and Stephen and hunting and fishing with his family.

When he was 10, Moreen’s dad taught him how to make a spear.

Now he is teaching his younger brothers John and Emilio to do the same.

“We’re a real close family.

“We go out camping out in the bush, sit around a campfire, go fishing and hunt turtles, dugongs and crabs.”

Moreen’s first move away from home came last year when he had a “pretty tough” stint in Melbourne playing for amateur league club St Marys.

He joined the Shoes after speaking to vice-president Marty Hocking, the father of his former under-14s teammate Marty Jr.

The Hocking family took him in.

“They were really good to me. It felt like home again.”

Moreen returned home last week to spend the summer playing for the Tiwi Bombers.

He plans to give his SFL premiership medal to his grandfather.

“I’m the happiest man going back to the islands.

“But I’m coming back here to win another flag.”

Noarlunga coach Trevor Mitton says Moreen’s story is “absolutely legendary”.

“He’s come away at 19, away from his friends, family, his home town and his culture to move to a different city, a different state, a different club, and wins a premiership,” Mitton says.

“He’s made an incredible contribution to our footy club.”