Geelong sensation Tim Kelly is the latest in a long line of Noongar Nation champions

TIM Kelly shares similar traits to indigenous greats Jimmy Krakouer and Nicky Winmar and is the latest Noongar to decorate our great game, writes MARK ROBINSON. Watch the Noongar superstars in action.

MAL Brown eventually concedes he can see a glimpse of Jimmy Krakouer in Tim Kelly.

But not before arguing in his customary persuasive manner that he sees a whole lot of Nicky Winmar in the Geelong sensation.

Big Mal would know.

He coached Krakouer at Claremont in Western Australia while Winmar played at, as did Kelly, one of the other clubs Brown coached, South Fremantle.

MATTHEW LLOYD: THIS IS CRUNCH TIME FOR BOMBERS

JON RALPH: ROSS DEFIANT BUT FUTURE REMAINS CLOUDED

Brown has a warmth about him when he talks of Winmar.

“I remember going to see Nicky play at Pinjelly, southeast of Perth,’’ Brown says.

“I went down to see a bloke called Brett Little play. I drove down there and saw the last quarter of the seconds and here’s this little 14 or 15-year-old kid grabbing the ball and he hooked it over his shoulder to a bloke in the goal square.

“And then he did it again. I said, ’Look, I don’t give a f--- about Brett Little, what about this little kid?’

“We went and saw Nicky’s parents after the game and that’s how Nicky was found.”

Brown probably knows more about “black fella’’ footballers through the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s than just about anyone with a decent love of football.

“Black fella’’ is used as a generic, colloquial term to refer to all indigenous people rather than highlight if they are Noongar, Murri, Koori or Torres Straight Islander. Importantly, it a term of affection.

Brown, 71, is a WA legend and played with, against, coached, mentored and championed some of the most brilliant indigenous players to have decorated our great game.

Geelong’s Tim Kelly, who was overlooked in five national drafts, has been a revelation this season. Picture: Michael Klein

It’s why he was asked, with Barry Cable, Kevin Sheedy, John Todd, Larry Kickett and Grant Dorrington, to help select the Noongar Team of Champions, a group of 24 players who played from 1960 on, who will be further recognised with the release of videos which will pride of place in Melbourne throughout Reconciliation Week later this month.

Unquestionably, the Noongar nation’s contribution to Australian rules is worthy of recognition.

Sheedy recently called them the “Zulus of this nation, they are warriors’’.

“This race of indigenous people have been magnificent for our game,’’ Sheedy said.

Noongars are from a parcel of land in southwest WA which basically runs from Geraldton, down to Perth, down to Bunbury, around to Albany and around to Esperance.

One in three indigenous players in the AFL are Noongars, the most decorated being Lance Franklin.

Before him, there was Polly Farmer, Barry Cable, the Krakouer brothers, Peter Matera, Winmar and maybe the greatest of them all, Stephen Michael.

Kelly is the latest Noongar — his father was indigenous, his mother was Chilean — to represent his nation in the AFL.

There’s always a fascinating story with footballers and Kelly was, somehow, being overlooked for five national drafts before Geelong wholly trusted his ability and drafted him at the end of 2017.

His first seven games have been a revelation.

There are similarities between Jimmy Krakouer and Tim Kelly.

The Jimmy Krakouer similarities are recognised in the sometime double-handed and low ball drop, the clean hands, balance and lateral movement.

The Winmar similarities are recognised in the size and shape and a grace of movement.

Krakouer played at 167cm and 67kg.

Winmar played at 183cm and 81kg.

Kelly is 183cm and 82kg.

The Noongars arguably entered the wider football world when the Krakouer brothers arrived at North Melbourne in 1982.

To those who didn’t seem them play, imagine smaller versions of Buddy Franklin and them kicking, tapping, handballing to each other.

Imagine Buddy in the midfield kicking the ball to Buddy in the forward line. Yep, it was magic.

Brown says Jimmy was a different to other black fellas.

“Jimmy was more solid and nuggety and for an Aboriginal boy he was pretty aggressive in getting the ball,” Brown said.

“A lot of indigenous players are more skilful and use their ducking and weaving and hands. Like Kelly, I can see low-ball drop aspect in Kelly’s game and if you remember Phil Krakouer had that as well.

“But I thought I could see more of Winmar in Kelly, in the fact he’s lean and long and takes a good mark, and he’s catlike.

“He also reminds me a bit of Benny Virgona (champion WA footballer). Having watched young Kelly on TV this year on about three occasions, I’ve been extremely impressed with him. Yeah, I’d rate him a Winmar type to be honest with you.’’

Mal Brown says he also sees a lot of Nicky Winmar in Kelly.

Brown says Noongars have a sixth sense “Not just Noongars, they all have these reflexes,’’ he said, “just catlike with incredible reflexes”.

A notorious hothead, Brown was soothed by an appreciation of how black fellas played the game.

“When I used to go home, and I was a bad loser, and I’d be crabby with the side and crabby with myself for making a bad move, and then you’d think of some of the things that Virgona, Rioli, Michael and Winmar did on the field ... they were amazing players,’’ he says.

You’re favourites?

“The best player I’ve ever seen and played against is Barry Cable,’’ Brown says.

“My favourite would be Stephen Michael. Not just as a player. He would fly like a crow and take a mark. He would kick a goal over his right and left shoulder whatever be. He was tough, he was hard. He worked hard and he was a better citizen than he is a footballer.

“But people here in WA think the best player ever is Farmer.’’

The videos, produced by Harry Bardwell from Beyond West production, range from two minutes to 30 minutes, the longer versions to be screened on NITV from May 30.

They will also be released in a box set and iTunes.

All 24 two-minute videos will be played at Federation Square ahead of The Long Walk on the night of the Dreamtime Game between Essendon and Richmond.

NOONGAR TEAM OF CHAMPIONS

B: Dale Kickett, Gary Malarkey, Derek Kickett

HB: Byron Pickett, Michael Johnson, Stephen Hill

C: Phil Narkle, Nicky Winmar, Peter Matera

HF: Leon Davis, Lance Franklin, Bradley Hill

F: Jeff Farmer, Patrick Ryder, Jimmy Krakouer

R: Polly Farmer, Stephen Michael, Barry Cable (coach)

I/C: Chance Bateman, Allistair Pickett, Phil Matera, Keith Narkle, Phil Krakouer, Kevin Taylor