AFL club Port Adelaide tackles recognition

PORT Adelaide is the first major sporting organisation to officially campaign for constitutional recognition for Aborigines.

INDIGENOUS pride has taken a leap forward with resurgent AFL club Port Adelaide becoming the country's first major sporting organisation to officially campaign for constitutional recognition for Aborigines.

Star footballers with the Power, whose 2004 AFL premiership-winning side was hailed as the most representative of indigenous footballers in the league's history, yesterday pulled on t-shirts adorned with an "R" for "Recognise" to declare solidarity with the Journey to Recognition movement.

Gavin Wanganeen and Byron Pickett, among the club's best players in the 2004 grand final, will join a national recognition march when it arrives in Adelaide from Melbourne tomorrow.

Wanganeen, the AFL's first Aboriginal Brownlow medallist, said he hoped his two children would look back at his role in the march, which began a month ago and continues to Uluru next week. "By the time they're a lot older, I hope the indigenous people in this country will be in the constitution and recognised," he said.

"I'm extremely proud to have bloodlines that are connected to the oldest living culture in the world -- it's just amazing in itself.

"Sadly, this culture isn't recognised in the constitution."

The Journey to Recognition is inspired by Essendon great Michael Long's 2004 walk from Melbourne to Canberra to speak about the plight of indigenous people with John Howard.

This journey will take in every state and territory.

Port Adelaide chairman David Koch said the club, which had a proud tradition of recruiting the best indigenous players and coaches, was committed to the movement and improving the lives of Aborigines.

Organisers hope a referendum on indigenous recognition can be held during the next parliament.

Pickett said constitutional recognition was one of the last battlegrounds for the indigenous rights movement.

"I hope that the children and grandchildren look back at me, not only as a footy player, but for being a part of this . . . and be proud that I was part of it."