What’s the Buzz: Anthony Mundine makes rugby league comeback at Koori Knockout
EXCLUSIVE PICTURES: With his boxing career temporarily on hold, Anthony Mundine has made the footy return he has been promising us.
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LEICHHARDT Oval No 3 ground is a far cry from the big stadiums that hosted Anthony Mundine’s teams in three rugby league grand finals for the Dragons and the Broncos.
This tiny suburban park in Sydney’s inner west is where Mundine made the footy comeback he has been promising us.
Just eight kilometres down the road from ANZ Stadium and in front of a few hundred fans instead of 80,000.
But he loved it.
At 42 years of age.
Confident and creative.
Still the same old magic without the same old speed.
This is the Koori Knockout — a festival of football for indigenous players who come from all areas of the state to play.
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Sprinkled among them are half a dozen current NRL stars. James Roberts. Tyrone Peachey. Chris Sandow, the Fifita brothers and Latrell Mitchell.
They play because it’s back to their grassroots and it’s about their spirituality.
Mundine turned out for Nanima against the Redfern All Blacks.
They won 26-6 and advanced to the next round on Sunday.
With his boxing career temporarily on hold, Mundine announced his intentions to play NRL again earlier this year.
The plan was to play for St George Illawarra at the Auckland Nines, and then see what happens.
That tournament got scrapped and so it was the Koori Knockout instead.
It’s a breathtaking style of football. Constant ball movement. Just instinct and natural skill.
For Mundine it’s his first game for 17 years since he walked away from rugby league for boxing.
He’s not the only star in the Nanima team. He talked Panthers star Peachey into having a run. Choc’s last to arrive for the warm up. He wears jersey No. 15 and starts from the bench.
There’s no change-rooms. They get dressed on the grass behind a temporary grand stand.
Not that Mundine was looking for a hot shower or anything better.
He plays about a third of the game. At halfback and in the centres. The victim of a couple of late shots but nothing too bad.
“I’m pretty happy,” he says.
“It was pretty crazy.
“The biggest thing for me was being back in a team environment. The spirit’s great.
“You’re not on your own like in boxing. I felt good and I didn’t make an error.
“I’ll have another go tomorrow and see what happens.”
Originally published as What’s the Buzz: Anthony Mundine makes rugby league comeback at Koori Knockout
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