04.04.2007

Athletics action at Marree

Athletics Australia Development Manager Sally McGrady enjoyed a successful week in Marree as part of Athletics Australia’s Athletics for the Outback program.

It has been at least 25 years since the MCG has seen so much action - the Marree Cricket Ground that is!

The Athletics for the Outback program spent March 27 to 30 at Marree in South Australia, a small town of approximately 80 which sits at the junction of the Birdsville and Oodnadatta track and reached by a seven-hour drive from Adelaide.

The town was once a part of the Afghan camel route and has ruins left from the original Ghan line to Alice Springs.

Teacher Rob Love had a vision of establishing a sport program that surrounding schools could participate in with relatively small numbers (Marree Aboriginal School has a total of 20 students). Athletics seemed to be the perfect choice as it does not require large numbers to make up teams and, as a multi-disciplined sport, has something for all.

The Marree upper school students travelled to Newcastle in NSW to compete at the indigenous championships and, on that trip, a seed was sown that could bring athletics to this remote area of South Australia.

Five months later Marree’s MCG was rejuvenated by the local community who cleared the scrub, leveled the area and had it graded. A track went down with some wonky lines, but it was a track nevertheless. Discus, shot and javelin throwing areas were marked out and the automatic hoe did a great job of carving out a long jump pit in the red earth.

All that was missing was the athletes. Invitations went out to Oodnadatta Aboriginal School and Leigh Creek Area School who accepted and brought students and willing adults prepared to participate in the ATFCA level one coaching course. A total of 12, half of them indigenous, undertook the course which featured all disciplines bar the pole vault and hammer throw. All were very impressive and presented the area with a spread of athletics knowledge.

South Australian ATFCA representative Barb Stephens was very impressed with the enthusiasm of the coaching nominees and we were all delighted at the enthusiasm of all to learn more.

Up to 60 athletes were also taken through all the events at the same time as the adults by Commonwealth Games discus representative Benn Harradine, Don Brown and Rick Wilson from Athletics South Australia.

Heavy rain fell on the Tuesday which effectively cut off the town for a day, so what else was there to do but practise athletics! The local community threw themselves into fundraising and provided BBQ dinners each night as well as a disco for the athletes and locals.
The day of the competition arrived with the lower primary showing their support of their school with posters of encouragement for the Marree athletes. Mums, dads, grandparents, guardians and locals turned out to watch the action at the MCG.

There were too many great performances to mention, all athletes striving to do their best and compete in the fairness of sport. All day I was told by the locals how wonderful it was to see the town alive with such a fantastic opportunity for the local and surrounding communities.

I have always said that it is a privilege to be involved with the Athletics for the Outback program and, when you see first-hand what can be achieved with support from all, it tells a great story. Athletics Australia would like to thank all that were involved with bringing athletics to Marree and to Denise and Willy at the Marree hotel for looking after us and providing lunches, morning and afternoon tea.

We left with an assurance that athletics is firmly on the program at the schools that participated. The athletes travelled back to their own schools and will now undertake up to 10 weeks of athletics, with the teachers and coaches sending their results to Athletics Australia to create a remote competition that will see representatives from the schools travel to Newcastle for the Indigenous championships to be held in November.

Sally McGrady
Development Manager
Athletics Australia