VICTORIA Police will go head-to-head with an Indigenous footy team on Sunday for the annual William Cooper Cup.
In partnership with the Western Suburbs Indigenous Gathering Place, the AFL match, now in its 14th year, will be played at Pennell Reserve in Braybrook.
The event is held each year as part of National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week festivities. NAIDOC week is held in July each year and is a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and achievements and is an opportunity to recognise the contributions of Indigenous Australians make to our country.
Recently, as part of the ‘Future Leaders’ program, members of Police accompanied 12 children from the community, including three Indigenous children, on a trek on the Kokoda trail.
“This was a fabulous experience for both the Police and the children that went and I have been privileged to hear a presentation conducted by two of the Indigenous children that attended,” Senior Sergeant Melissa Sullivan said.
“It was inspiring to hear them articulate that their attendance on the program and their interaction with Police has been extremely rewarding to them.
“To witness someone vocalising that the Police helped them to grow as a person through support and respect reminds me of why I do my job.”
Sergeant Sullivan hopes Sunday’s AFL game would be another chance to strengthen the relationship between Police and the Indigenous community.
“It (the event) assists to break down barriers and perceptions,” she said.
“I am hopeful that the game/interaction also encourages members of the Indigenous community to feel respected and comfortable to interact with Police on any level and know that they will be treated with dignity.”
The Victoria Police v Indigenous team, game will be played on Sunday at 12pm, with a traditional Indigenous ceremony to be held prior to the first bounce.
Organisers are encouraging members of the community to attend the match.
Last Modified on 13/07/2016 15:33