AFL rookie draft 2015: ‘Tippa’ Essendon’s new cult hero

ESSENDON has a new cult hero after picking up a Tiwi Islander who came to Victoria in 2010 in pursuit of an English education and to play football.

VFL footy: Essendon V Frankston

ESSENDON has a new cult hero after picking up a Tiwi Islander who came to Victoria in 2010 in pursuit of an English education and to play football.

Anthony William Watson McDonald-Tipungwuti was chosen by the Bombers at No 22 in the AFL rookie draft.

The club immediately tweeted: “Today shall forever be known as #TippaDay”.

The hashtag was soon trending among Bomber fans, players and officials.

Fellow Bomber indigenous player Shaun Edwards hit Twitter with a

“Tippppppaaaaaa!”, the crowd chant that has frequently punctuated Essendon VFL games this season.

Club CEO Xavier Campbell expressed the sentiment of Bomber fans when the news came through with a simple tweet: “Tippa”.

Today shall forever be known as #TippaDay pic.twitter.com/Fs1QeY1lGj

— Essendon FC (@EssendonFC) November 27, 2015

Tippa

— Xavier Campbell (@XCampbell79) November 27, 2015

And the club’s Jarmy Army posted a photo of themselves with Tipungwuiti and tweeted “omg ...omg ... we’ve got our man!!! Woot...woot!!!”

Former Demon James Magner who played as a top-up player with Tippa in this season’s pre-season matches for Essendon, also joined in: “Tippa! Great work”.

Tipungwuti’s success story owes much to the Gippsland woman he calls his second mum, Jane McDonald.

About six years ago, she was visiting her daughter Nikki, who was doing missionary work on Melville Island, when she ran into Tippa.

The boy, who could barely speak English, pestered her to take him back to Victoria so he could get an education.

In order to do so under Tiwi law, he became Jane’s sixth child and came to live with her in Longwarry.

Tipungwuti worked hard at school after starting as a year 9 student at Chairo Christian College and also showed a prowess at football.

He was a key member of the Gippsland Power grand final team in the TAC Cup in 2012 where he caught the eye of league scouts.

#TippaDay https://t.co/Y97Q9LyMtw

— Essendon FC (@EssendonFC) November 27, 2015

Tippppppaaaaaaa

— Shaun Edwards (@Shaunye33) November 27, 2015

Tippa has been hovering on Bomber supplementary lists since then and has won a growing following from Bomber fan with his flair and brilliance.

The club invited him to train with the seniors in 2014 but he failed to make the cut because of a lack of endurance. He played the season with the reserves team and won the award for the

VFL goal of the year.

Tipungwuti,who will be 23 in April, worked hard on his endurance and upper body strength and took his game to another level this season with the Essendon VFL team.

After a consistent year as a running half-back, he was one of Essendon’s best in the finals and almost turned the game against premier Williamstown in the preliminary final.

It was a game that also really boosted his cult following among Bomber fans. Essendon selected beanpole ruckman Gach Nyuon, with its first round rookie pick.

The Dandenong Stingrays under-18 All-Australian ruckman was one of four Sudanese players picked in the AFL rookie draft.

Tom Wallis and Jake Long, the sons of dual Bomber premiership stars Dean Wallis and Michael Long, and the delisted Will Hams make up the Essendon rookie list.