Michael Long’s plea to help keep St Mary’s afloat
The football home of the Long and Rioli families — St Mary’s in Darwin — is in financial strife and Michael Long says its closure would tear the heart out of the Territory.
Mark Robinson
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A week out from the Dreamtime at the ‘G, one of the dreamtime football clubs of Australia is on its knees.
The famous St Mary’s in Darwin, the football home of the Long and Rioli families, and more importantly home for people of the Stolen Generation when it was formed in 1952, is in financial trouble.
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An emergency meeting is being held on Wednesday night.
How it found itself in this position will be fully explained by the club.
How it can be fixed is the more urgent item on the agenda.
Michael Long says closure of the “greatest institution of football in Australia” would tear the heart out of the Territory.
Michael’s father, Jack, and his seven sons — Steven, Brian, John, Noel, Chris, Michael and PJ — played more than 1000 games and won 50 premierships between them for St Mary’s Football Club.
Once the brothers all played alongside each other — the 1988-89 preliminary final, which St Mary’s lost to Darwin, a match rich in the storytelling.
In Darwin, the Longs are royalty and to have seven in the one team is one of the most remarkable stories in the history of Australian Rules.
More celebration followed 15 years later.
After his decorated Essendon career, Long came out of retirement for a game in 2003.
He and PJ played that day, as the rest of brotherhood looked on, and it was the day the Long brothers’ cumulative tally of senior games reached 1000.
Michael cried as he and PJ were chaired from the ground.
His emotion today is more fear than pride.
“My mother would be turning in her grave if the club folded,’’ he said.
“It hasn’t been just a football club, it’s been our life, it’s what we know and what we’ve grown up with.
‘It’s more than a football club. It’s family, it’s been our community, the day it was formed, that day was about family. It would be devastating if comes to an end.’’
The historians say St Mary’s was formed in 1952 for Tiwi Islanders who were working for the army in Darwin.
At the time, it was against the law for indigenous Australians to drink or go into town after 6pm, so the guys played football and a football club was born.
“Since its inception, St Mary’s has been at the forefront of breaking down racial and social barriers,” AFLNT says.
“At the time, with the exception of Wanderers Football Club, no other club from the Northern Territory Football League would allow ‘full blood’ Aboriginals to play in their teams.’’
Long says it was much more than a serviceman’s team.
“It basically formed around the St Marys’ church,’’ he said.
“It goes back to the Stolen Generation. I don’t know how to explain it … it’s interconnecting, like, around the church, they were like family because they were taken away.
“That was their family. It’s embedded, it’s in the blood.’’
Long is worried. He doesn’t know what he can do to help and like many in Darwin is perplexed how the most successful football club in Australia is floundering.
St Mary’s has won 32 league premierships in 67 years and 119 across all grades.
It’s rivals to the throne of Australia’s most successful club are Port Adelaide and the Pioneers of Alice Spring.
The legendary Billy Roe is its founding champion.
He was the club’s first player to play league football, for East Perth, and was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) for his contribution to Australian Rules.
Legends followed. David Kantilla, who represented South Australia four times, then Maurice Rioli, Benny Virgona, Basil Campbell, Long, Cyril Rioli, Daniel Rioli, Willie Rioli, Warren Campbell who played for North Melbourne, Peter Burgoyne, Ronnie Burns, the Clarke brothers — Raphael and Xavier — and Austin Wonaeamirri.
The Tipungwuti family was also St Mary’s. So were the Buckleys.
Nathan’s father, Ray, was captain-coach of the club.
There’s a famous photograph, taken in the summer of 1976/77, of Ray Buckley standing with The Queen and introducing Her Majesty to a line of St Mary’s players.
“Yep, and in the background is my old man and my late mum,’’ says current club president Steven Ludwig.
“That was the day the Queen wore red and white and the Warratahs won the Grand Final.’’
Ludwig’s dad, Vic, was president of St Mary’s for 42 years.
“There’s a sense of urgency,’’ Steven said.
“On Wednesday, we’re having a special general meeting.’’
He wouldn’t elaborate on the financials, but says, “we have a bank loan, there’s money coming in and money going out’’.
The urgency is real.
The Richmond Football Club contacted the club and asked how it could help. Little things count. Daniel Rioli has signed jumpers for a fundraiser.
The football programs are healthy, all the way through to the juniors.
They now have enough numbers to field three teams in a newly created under-10s competition.
For the kids, it’s the start of a journey their fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers have explored before them.
The women’s footy is also flourishing and Danielle Ponter was recently drafted to the Adelaide AFLW.
Asked if he feared for the club, Ludwig said: “I think we will always have a football team, but it’s about having a home to come home to.’’
If you want to help St Marys’ call Steven Ludwig on 0448 897 608.
Originally published as Michael Long’s plea to help keep St Mary’s afloat
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