From the ABC
AFL star's feet on the ground 250 games on
The Brisbane Lions' Daryl White will become just the fourth Aboriginal footballer to play 250 AFL games when he lines up against Port Adelaide at the Gabba on Saturday night.
White has played in all three Lions premiership teams and says he might have one more year left at the elite level.
He will join Nicky Winmar, Gaven Wanganeen and Peter Matera in reaching the milestone.
White says he had no idea his career would have stretched to 250 games and three premierships when he was drafted by the "bad news Bears".
And at a time when both AFL and rugby league players have found themselves in the news for all the wrong reasons, White believes his work with disadvantaged and Indigenous youth is part of his social responsibility.
"We have a place in the community, I think we all have and I think a lot of us don't take that title," he said.
"We sort of let it go by the wayside but we are people who a lot of kids - even grown-ups - look up to, it just goes back to... putting a bit back into the community, where you come from, where you've been."
― Lucy Lion (Lucy Lion), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 04:41 (twenty years ago) link
Must agree with the sentiments LL.
I've always enjoyed watching White play. His athleticism has been marvellous.
Well done.
― Westener (Westener), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 11:11 (twenty years ago) link
White must be one of the few left at Brisbane from the old Carrara tin shed days. Voss would be another, there wouldn't be too many more.
― Fred Nerk (Fred Nerk), Tuesday, 1 June 2004 11:24 (twenty years ago) link
Clark Keating has also been on the list since he was 15 and the Bears where holidaying on the Gold Coast, never actually played at Carrara, but on the list.
Its hard now to believe that Shaun Hart actually played so much reserve grade footy while the team was at Carrara. What were they thinking?
― Big Bird (Big Bird), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 03:28 (twenty years ago) link
I never knew the Materas were aboriginal.
Spose just like Jason Gillespie has aboriginal heritage, as does Laurie Daley...
― Bennö (Bennö), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 04:41 (twenty years ago) link
For some reason Channel 10 keep showing footage of Jared Brennan when they speak about Aboriginal players - fools. His parents are Dutch/Australian, he was raised in Darwin.
― Lucy Lion (Lucy Lion), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 04:52 (twenty years ago) link
The Materas have never made any big secret of their Aboriginality, they just don't make a big deal of it either. They don't all need to be Michael Long. Older brother Wally who played for the Eagles in the very early days (good to see Mr and Mrs Matera's taste in names improved as more kids were born) was a lot darker than either Peter or Phil.
The Eagles' other 'alleged Aborigine' is Dan Kerr. He actually received an invitation to join the squad for one of the Darwin matches a couple of years ago. He wrote back that he would be honored to play for the All Stars if he was an Aboriginal, he's actually half skip half Indian.
― Fred Nerk (Fred Nerk), Wednesday, 2 June 2004 06:16 (twenty years ago) link
Not sure about that Fred, his old man played from port adelaide, unless they have aborigines in india, he was definetly aboriginal
― jsa, Wednesday, 2 June 2004 09:18 (twenty years ago) link