AFL 2025: Indigenous All Stars here to stay after dazzling victory over Fremantle
The Indigenous All Stars are back — and it would take a brave AFL executive to rule they won’t stay. See who starred on a spectacular night in Perth.
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The Indigenous All Stars are back. And it would take a brave AFL executive to rule they won’t stay.
After a 10-year absence from the AFL calendar, one of the most naturally talented sides ever assembled danced, swayed and soared their way back into football’s national consciousness.
Draped in yellow as bright as their spark and filled with pride to be representing their people, the All Stars played like a side that had been together for three years, not three days.
The success of representative football hinges on how much the players care. And the All Stars’ passion was palpable.
Perth footy fans voted with their feet, all 37,865 of them. And that affirmation could transcend football.
With Indigenous representation in decline, we could look back on this game in 10 years’ time and think ‘this is the shot in the arm the competition needed.’ The players wanted it back and the AFL listened. Now it’s time to harness that momentum.
Every year might be a stretch. But every two seems achievable.
You can’t argue that it was a waste of time for Fremantle. The Dockers defence, considered one of the best in the competition, got a stern workout.
Simpkin applies the pressure and Kozzy converts! pic.twitter.com/73Ebsaut9I
— AFL (@AFL) February 15, 2025
That was always going to be the case up against a side that featured seven All Australians, nine premiership players, six top ten draft picks, and three Mark of the Year winners.
Fremantle players who’d usually have five metres had two. Most teams usually have three or four players with elite closing speed. The All Stars had 31.
Indigenous footballers didn’t just make pressure popular, they invented it.
Jason Horne-Francis’s desperate lunging tackle in the first quarter allowed Jarman Impey to intercept in defence. Charlie Cameron was the beneficiary of a nervous Dockers defence in the second quarter after being held behind the play. Kysaiah Pickett snapped truly after a brilliant chase down tackle by Simpkin on Neil Erasmus.
There was speed. But there was also skill.
Adelaide forward Izak Rankine set the tone early with a searching run down the wing, taking a few Dockers to the candy shop as he surged into attack. Ash Johnson set-up Horne-Francis with a delightful and somewhat unconventional bounce pass. Tyson Stengle slotted one from deep in the pocket.
In seconds, what seemed like a promising attacking opportunity for the Dockers turned into an All Stars goal down the other end.
The Rioli pressure, the pinpoint pass from Charlie and Bobby's got four 🔥 pic.twitter.com/QJDJmd7Pu4
— AFL (@AFL) February 15, 2025
The only thing missing was a mark of the year contender. It wasn’t the highest of flies but Willie Rioli offered a semi-soar in the third quarter.
The Dockers didn’t win but they got valuable minutes into their stars. The Indigenous All Stars did and made memories for life.
Football can divide us. For three hours, the All Stars brought us all together.
MATCH REPORT: ALL STARS TOO CLASSY FOR FREO
Less than five months ago, Callum Ah Chee was a hero for the Brisbane Lions, kicking four goals in a premiership winning team.
At Optus Stadium on Saturday, there was no room for him in the forward line of the Indigenous All Stars team that beat the Fremantle Dockers by 43 points.
Collingwood’s own premiership hero, Bobby Hill, booted four in the 16.12 (108) to 9.11 (65) victory. He was one of their 11 goal scorers and could have kicked at least six.
The All-Stars midfield was also strong, boasting Jy Simpkin, Jason Horne-Francis and Izak Rankine.
Turn away North Melbourne fans, Simpkin and Horne-Francis teamed up to be arguably the best two players on the ground, with 46 possessions and four goals between them.
For a lot of the game, the Dockers players looked a step off the pace.
It is only February though.
YOUNGSTER SHINES IN DEFENCE
As well as Ah Chee, that All Stars defence also included Steven May, marking everything coming his way, and Jarman Impey providing run.
But Geelong fans would have loved watching Lawson Humphries holding his own back there too.
The 21-year-old debuted in round 16 last season and held his spot.
He earned a Rising Star nomination in round 18 after picking up 23 touches and taking 13 marks in a win over Collingwood.
He was the All Stars highest possession getter in the first half and finished with 20 disposals.
SCORING NOT AN ISSUE THIS TIME
It had been 10 years since the Indigenous All Stars team last played a game.
West Coast won a clash in WA by eight points and the All Stars managed just five goals (5.11) that day. No one kicked more than one goal.
The All Stars team on Saturday was always going to be able to score.
By quarter time they’d already put five goals on the board; Bobby Hill kicking two of them.
Fremantle, who we’re used to seeing trailing at quarter-time, were behind by 17 points at the first break.
MARKING OPTIONS APLENTY
Fremantle had plenty to aim for in attack, with Jye Amiss, Luke Jackson and Josh Treacy perched in the forward line.
But while the Dockers kicked two goals in the first quarter term, but were from snaps. The only two marks taken inside their 50m attacking area were by midfielder Caleb Serong, who missed both shots on goals.
Fremantle’s forward structure looked a lot more dangerous in the second term.
Michael Frederick, Amiss, Jackson and Treacy all earned shots on goal from marks. Their entire score for the quarter, 3.2, came from set shots after marks were taken.
Scoring after half-time was not easy though. There’s some work there to do.
CONCERNS WITH SAM
An injury to Sam Switkowski is also a big concern for Fremantle.
The talented half-forward has proven to be an important part of the Dockers line-up.
But he left the field just before quarter-time after a head knock during a marking contest. He’d managed only one possession.
Switkowski’s entire career has hampered with concussion issues and he missed three games in 2024, rounds 6-8, because of it.
BIG DOG ON THE FIELD
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan didn’t line up for All Stars, but was at Optus Stadium.
The Western Bulldogs key forward is currently undertaking flexible training arrangements as he deals with personal issues.
But he linked up with the All Stars in Perth late this week and did some ball work with the team on Friday.
He was on the ground during the warm up on Saturday, in All Stars squad gear, with a big smile on his face as he had a couple of shots on goal.
SCOREBOARD
INDIGENOUS ALL STARS 5.2 7.5 12.8 16.12 108
FREMANTLE 2.3 5.5 7.8 9.11 65
BEST
All Stars: Simpkin, Horne-Francis, Bo Hill, Humphries, May, Rankine.
Dockers: Serong, O’Driscoll. Frederick, Clark, Sharp, Brayshaw.
GOALS
All Stars: Bo Hill 4, Horne-Francis 3, Walters, Stengle, Simpkin, Pickett, Cameron, Motlop, Ryan, W Rioli, Kelly.
Dockers: Frederick 3, Sharp 2, Jackson 2, Amiss 2.
INJURIES
All Stars: Nil.
Dockers: Switkowski (concussion).
CROWD: 37,865 at Optus Stadium
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