Geelong’s Paul Bourke sets off on ‘Bourkey’s Boot Ride’ – a nine-day trip to deliver footy boots to remote communities

Paul Bourke set out on his bike last year to ‘clear his head’. But a chance meeting on the road has now snowballed into a true grassroots campaign to deliver footy boots to the most remote of communities.

Cats champions Cameron Ling and Mathew Stokes were on hand to farewell Paul Bourke (middle) ahead of "Bourkey’s Bootride". Picture: Alison Wynd

It all started with a $20 Kmart rubber footy.

For Paul Bourke, his grassroots ‘Bourkey’s Boot Ride’ – a nine day-3,000 kilometre journey from Geelong to Kalkarindji via Katherine to deliver hundreds of new footy boots to some of the most remote communities across the country – has already exceeded his wildest imagination.

The former St Joseph’s and Geelong West footballer, who grew up in a footy-mad family including older brothers and former Geelong Cats footballers Damian and Tim, recalled setting off on a bike ride last year to “clear the head”, which eventually led to a lap of country.

“For a little bit of fun, I brought a football in Cairns, to kick some goals around the country,” Bourke said.

“I said to all my footy mates in Geelong, I was going to kick 200 goals – but what happened was, I just bought a $20 football from Kmart, and I met some kids in Katherine … and we all had a kick of the football and a bit of a laugh.

“I then rode onto Darwin, and learnt they had no football boots, they had a box of footy boots between them at the football club, so I did a U-turn and bought a $1000 worth of football boots for them and their friends.”

Sparking in him a desire to do even more, the 45-year-old went about raising $20,000 to purchase over 200 new boots to deliver to these communities.

A self-confessed “bleeding heart” Bourke said he only wanted make a difference in these player’s lives, and though initially happy to do it on his own, he’s been amazed at the support and reach his efforts had so far gotten.

Now with even more boots packed in a trailer ready to drop off, Bourke set off on his trip from West Oval on Friday morning from West Oval, with the support of ex-Cats Cameron Ling and Mathew Stokes.

He’s also anticipating anywhere up to 100 bikes to join him on the road between Geelong and Alice Springs – with Bourke documenting his travels and boot drops on his YouTube channel “The Indian Crusader”.

“South Australia, they’re all footy mad and motorbike mad, they’re all jumping on board, there are people leaving Geelong with me, Ballarat, Ararat, Horsham, people jumping on board for an hour to ride with me,” he said.

“The idea is raise more money as we go and I can keep buying more boots.”

Paul Bourke ready to head off on "Bourkey’s Boot Ride" with help from Cameron Ling, Paul Kelly, Mathew Stokes, Michael Noonan and Michael Bond. Picture: Alison Wynd

Having spoken to a men’s team, Bourke learned their club had a brand new women’s team this year and is hopeful of purchasing boots for those female players.

Meanwhile, a phone call earlier this week from a couple young Indigenous men from the Kimberley region highlighted just how excited players were for Bourke’s impending arrival.

“I asked if there was anything else I can do for you, and they said ‘you know what, we’d just love some cones to have on the footy field and bibs to wear at training’,” he said.

“It’s the little things that are making the big difference out there.”

Paul Bourke started "Bourkey’s Boot Ride" with a lap of honour around Western Oval on Friday morning. Picture: Alison Wynd

Bourke isn’t sure what the grander solution is to provide support and resources to these communities – he is just doing what he can do through his Boot Ride.

And his unwritten rules are for the boots to go to those who turn up to footy training, while he has also mindful of purchasing only new boots, rather than accepting hand-me-downs.

“I’m the baby of nine, and I had brothers who played AFL football for Geelong, so I never got a brand new pair of boots, I got hand-me-downs … they were good hand-me-downs, don’t get me wrong, but I wanted to give them something special,” he said.

“I never knew what it was like to open a brand new pair of boots myself … for them to open up the box and they’re brand new, they’re just beside themselves.

“It’s a bit like, treat your fellow human how you’d like to be treated yourself.”

Bourke, who isn’t just hoping to reach Indigenous communities but also farming communities, said his travels highlighted just how remote some of these communities were.

“The more remote I went, especially around the Kimberley, there appears to less funding, but when you’re in Darwin or Katherine there is a lot of support,” he said.

“I’m really making a conscious effort to go to those areas no-one goes.”

• Donate to ‘Bourkey’s Boot Ride’ via GoFundMe.

Originally published as Geelong’s Paul Bourke sets off on ‘Bourkey’s Boot Ride’ – a nine-day trip to deliver footy boots to remote communities