Dear football fans,

As you know, Australia is confronted with a serious challenge.

It’s the challenge of how we reverse decades of disadvantage that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities face every day right across the country.

That challenge brings about many different problems for indigenous Australians, including high levels of child morbidity, youth suicide and a significantly shorter adult life expectancy than non-indigenous people.

It extends into disadvantage in employment pathways and opportunities, which often result from having fewer chances to fully complete secondary education.

These endemic problems have existed in our communities far too long.

I know, because I grew up surrounded by some of these problems; seeing people I know take their own life; having uncles pass away before the age of 50. 

Many of Port Adelaide’s favourite sons have experienced these problems - players like Gavin Wanganeen, Byron Pickett, Wade Thompson, the Burgoynes, the Motlops, our current Power players, and many, if not all, of Port Adelaide’s indigenous players to have represented the club in the SANFL as well.

I was lucky to get the chance to complete Year 12, and fortunate to get a chance to play basketball at the national level, just like our brothers and sisters who get the chance to play sport professionally and represent their country at the elite level.

But why do these athletes realise their dreams? Why is it that some indigenous leaders are able to rise to the top of the tree in their chosen profession, whether it be business, government, university or in the wider community?

It’s a simple case of having opportunity at the right time, often because one special family member - a mother, a father, a grandmother, an uncle - pushed and encouraged us in the right direction.

Not every Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander child gets this opportunity though, or has a family that can give them that chance to realise their potential.

That’s why we must all accept responsibility to help build opportunity for the indigenous children of today.

The Australian Government has, since Prime Minister Rudd, released a Closing the Gap report at the start of each parliamentary year, outlining the progress our country has made towards ending the disparity between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. It’s been pleasing that the Gillard and Abbott Governments have continued this.

What these reports show, is that there is still a long way to go.

The good news is there are many, many organisations and people working to fight these problems. It’s good, and the support of the football community particularly gives heart to many players, their families and communities across the country.

The Port Adelaide Football Club is one of those organisations, and through our educational programs like the Aboriginal Power Cup, the AFL Aboriginal Academy and WillPOWER, we are now in a place where we have a direct impact on indigenous kids in South Australia and the Northern Territory from ages 10 to 17.

Our mission is to train and build strong people, who are strong in culture.

We want our indigenous kids to finish school, become good leaders and promote the importance of education and the powerful opportunity it gives within their communities and, one day, to their own children.

This week, Byron Pickett, Wade Thompson, national beach volleyballer Taliqua Clancy and our Power Community team will travel to Uluru and head south into the APY Lands to begin our first year of the WillPOWER program and we do so knowing our club community and the wider footy world is right behind us.

We’ll continue to run remote classroom sessions from Alberton every week of the school year, and return into the APY Lands and Maralinga communities once each term and for two special football carnivals, thanks to generous state and federal government, and corporate and non-government sponsorship.

All of this with a goal to help indigenous children graduate from high school, one day, with a positive view of the world, and themselves.

I hope that as we continue this journey, you will feel part of a bigger community, that is inclusive, progressive and with eyes fixed firmly on a future that helps promote a bright future for indigenous people and, most of all, proud of giving opportunity to all of our kids.

Pauly V

Paul Vandenbergh is Port Adelaide’s Aboriginal Programs Manager and is a former player for the Canberra Cannons in the National Basketball League. portadelaidefc.com.au will cover the Power Community team's first week on the job running WillPOWER in the APY Lands.