Rising footy star, Anzac Lochowiak, proud to honour great-great grandfather Arthur Walker
RISING footy star, Anzac Lochowiak, carries his name with pride in honour of great-great grandfather and Aboriginal digger Arthur Walker.
LAST week Anzac Lochowiak was named in the national Indigenous AFL squad, The Flying Boomerangs, and will compete at the 2016 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships on the Gold Coast in July. He’s a footy star on the rise who will take time out from training this ANZAC Day to pause, reflect and join the Adelaide parade, proudly displaying his great-great grandfather’s war medals.
“In my family it’s a great honour to carry the name Anzac,” the 14-year-old Woodforde schoolboy says. “What [Australian diggers] have done is incredibly brave and should never be forgotten.”
This year marks a century since Aboriginal digger Arthur Walker was killed while fighting on the Western Front during WWI. So proud of their forefather’s sacrifice for this country, Mr Walker’s long line of descendants have named one son in each generation, Anzac.
“He did it for the love of his country and he paid the ultimate price,” says Anzac. “That’s incredible, and that’s why I’m proud to carry his legacy in my name.”
His grandfather would also be proud of his great-great-grandson, not only for maintaining the legacy but for a dedication and work ethic that has seen the young athlete making his mark in the AFL.
“He’s Anzac by name and Anzac by nature,” says his proud father, John.
And there’s every chance Australians could one day find themselves shouting their support for Anzac at the MCG. Perhaps even on ANZAC Day.
While we celebrate celebrities in so many ways it’s also worth our while to take stock and shine a light on those who make our communities great. This is the goal of the Australian of the Day program — a CommBank initiative that has partnered with News Corp Australia to reach as many Australians as possible. So get on board and if you know any inspiring people and go to australianoftheday.com.au, where you can nominate someone who deserves to be acknowledged.
Originally published as Rising footy star, Anzac Lochowiak, proud to honour great-great grandfather Arthur Walker
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