AFL Cape York House founder pays tribute to outgoing mayor Bob Manning
At first blush, outgoing mayor Bob Manning and AFL Cape York House founder Rick Hanlon seemed like an odd pairing.
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A shared dream to see young First Nations men and women “grow old” helped forge an unlikely friendship between two of Cairns’ most decorated citizens.
At first blush, outgoing mayor Bob Manning and AFL Cape York House founder Rick Hanlon seemed like an odd pairing.
Mr Manning, a self-confessed rugby league tragic, campaigned throughout his tenure for the city to have a team in the national competition.
In turn, Mr Hanlon hit the red dirt, dedicating decades to growing the Indigenous code in some of Queensland’s most remote communities.
But the AFL Queensland Hall of Famer found a strong ally when he approached Mr Manning about building a boarding house for Indigenous students in Cairns.
“Bob got it straight away,” Mr Hanlon said.
“As a grandad and a proud family man, he understood that we want our kids to grow old and not needlessly dying 20 years before they should.
“He was instrumental in us securing a parcel of land out at Redlynch for the Girls House (built in 2019). If we didn’t get the land we wouldn’t have been able to build. It was a great outcome.”
A decade on, AFL Cape York House supports almost 100 young men from remote communities further their studies while boarding at two of its multimillion-dollar campuses.
Last year, the mayor named Mr Hanlon Cairns Citizen of the Year – an award Mr Manning had received two decades earlier.
“Rick has played an important role in improving the lives of countless Indigenous children, as well as their communities,” Mr Manning said at the time. “Some of these children came from very difficult backgrounds and their life outcomes may not have been the best.”
Mr Hanlon said AFL Cape York House would not have been possible without passionate advocates like Mr Manning.
“In a program like ours we need all levels of government to support us,” he said.
“If we want to close the gap it starts with local government.
“Bob’s been extremely supportive of us. He’s a very dear friend and so is (wife) Claire.
“He’s got a real empathy and compassion for people. He holds the Far North dear to his heart.”
During his tenure, Mr Manning endured a gruelling Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission investigation into a 2015 loan that he received from a prominent lawyer connected to several past developments in Cairns.
“It really hurt him that his integrity was called into question and I spoke to him about it at the time,” Mr Hanlon said.
“But he’s a great citizen for our community. For him to keep going and get the results he has is a credit to him.”
Last week, Mr Manning attended AFL Cape York House’s 10th anniversary celebrations and gave an unprompted and emotional speech to around 80 guests in attendance.
Mr Hanlon said he would consider buying Mr Manning a bright red Sherrin as a retirement present.
“I’m proud of him,” Mr Hanlon said. “He’ll always be a friend of ours. He’s just got to learn to go for a different code, that’s all.”
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