Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti to play for Tiwi Bombers in 2023-24 NTFL season

Essendon cult hero Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti has been unveiled as the star recruit of a local football club in what represents a famous homecoming for the retiring Bomber.

The playing future of Essendon cult hero Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti has been locked in with the AFL star returning to NTFL club Tiwi Bombers for the 2023-24 season.

The move represents a famous homecoming for the 133-gamer who retired from the AFL for good on August 24.

The Tiwi-born was drafted to Essendon with their second selection in the 2015 rookie draft and has enjoyed an illustrious playing career including 157 goals.

He finished in the top 10 for the Crichton Medal every year of his career with a high of fifth in the 2018 season, while he was the side’s leading goal kicker in 2020 with 19.

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti will play for the Tiwi Bombers in the 2022-23 NTFL season. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

And now with his professional career wrapped up the 30-year-old has set his sights on a return to his original Bombers side, Tiwi, who he last played with in their 2011-12 premiership-winning season.

The Bombers announced the signing on their Facebook page referring to McDonald-Tipungwuti as their “favourite son”.

“Anthony’s return will add valuable experience and leadership for our very young group,” the club said.

“His story of resilience and perseverance will be great learnings for our players in both our Men and Women’s football programs.”

Tiwi president Lindsay Whiting said the club had been in conversations with the Essendon star for a couple of weeks prior to the announcement.

He said he “couldn’t say enough” about the impact the player’s return would have on the Tiwi community both on and off the field.

“This will do so much for our support base, our fan base and the players themselves,” Whiting said.

“If you look at the journey he has had, there’s never been a bad bit of publicity about him, he hasn’t put a foot wrong and he has come from struggles to get there.

“To get to where he has got to from where he came from is a credit to himself and his support base, you can’t take anything away from him as he had to be mentally strong to achieve what he did.

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti played his last game with Essendon in Round 24 of the 2023 season. Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

“His story coming from the Tiwi College, that’s something everyone can relate to, where a lot of kids from Tiwi don’t get to come to Darwin very often unless they’re going to hospital.

“So for him to go away and do what he did and now the younger ones get to feel him and touch him and know he’s real and it’s possible for them to achieve these goals as well.”

Whiting said while the club and community were incredibly excited for his return they weren’t going to put any pressure on McDonald-Tipungwuti.

“We don’t want to put pressure on him, we don’t want him to feel like he’s the saviour, but he’s hopefully part of a solution,” Whiting said.

“To be able to encourage these kids to stick at whatever it is they’re doing whether it is football, school or wherever they’re heading in their careers.

“It’s all about the work you put in and he’s a testament to that.

“It will be a good thing for the Tiwi Islands and that’s without him even putting the boots on, it’s just him coming back home.”

He joins new coach Patrick Bowden in the side in what is the first big signing announcement of the NTFL season.

Gary Ablett Jr, Eddie Betts, Neville Jetta, Steven Motlop and Mitch Robinson were among the former AFL players to grace the NTFL throughout the 2022-23 season.

Originally published as Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti to play for Tiwi Bombers in 2023-24 NTFL season