In the midst of celebrating NAIDOC Week, Gemma Houghton says her new role within Port Adelaide as Community Programs Officer feeds into her passion of working with Indigenous youth. Image: Matt Sampson.

PORT ADELAIDE star forward Gemma Houghton is quickly settling into her new South Australian home.

To complement her football commitments, the proud Yindjibarndi woman has dived straight into working with local kids, primarily within the club’s Indigenous programs.

In addition to joining a new on-field team, Houghton has been employed by the club as a community programs officer where she gets the chance to influence young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids.

“It’s my third week now on the job and there hasn’t been one day where I’ve felt like I’m working,” Houghton said.

“It’s an area I really love and am really passionate about, working with young Aboriginal kids. I’ve been going out to schools and helping deliver programs face-to-face, both with Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, and it has been great. I’m even heading to Alice Springs in a few weeks to help run programs there.”

Each year in July, NAIDOC Week is observed as a celebration of the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

When asked how important events like NAIDOC Week and National Reconciliation Week are to her, Houghton was confident in the impact they can have.

“For me it’s just about continuing to take steps forward in the right direction of change,” she said.

“You can’t change the past, but you can help influence the future. We are in a day and age where we are empowered and supported and there are a lot of us who have a voice and stand up and use it. In the position I am with AFLW I know my voice is important, especially for young people.”

Gemma Houghton has joined Port Adelaide's community team, working closely within the club's Aboriginal Programs. Image: Matt Sampson.

Houghton embraces the responsibility of being a good role model to young Aboriginal kids, but what some may feel is a burden, she views it as quite the opposite.

“I don’t see it as a responsibility, I see it as a passion,” Houghton said.

“I have passion to help these young Indigenous kids and be a positive role model in their lives. To know that I can make a difference for them, that’s huge.

“You actually often don’t really realise the impact you can have on someone’s life, either positive or negative. You have to be so aware of the messages you’re putting out there, especially on social media.”

The 28-year-old is constantly learning about her culture and is grateful for the way it has helped her understand and cherish her past.

“The history of my family is so interesting to me,” she said.

“My grandmother, Clara Coffin, was an Aboriginal woman and an incredibly hard worker. My grandfather, Leonard Houghton, he was a white Englishman. My grandmother grew up in an era where she had to have a permit to go out after dark, that’s just the way it was.

“The path she has created for us to have the life that we do is just amazing. All of my aunties and uncles are really hardworking, many of them have degrees and have been huge inspirations to me growing up. They really highlight the importance of family and connection and being all together. In most Indigenous families, it’s that whole family approach, where you are always there for each other.”

Growing up in Western Australia, Houghton recalls Olympic gold medallist and Burri Gubba woman Cathy Freeman as being a key role model to her, despite meeting just once when Houghton was a child.

“I met her when I was younger at a City to Surf in Perth…she was literally the biggest role model in terms of sport in my life, apart from family,” she beamed.

“I remember as a kid always saying I wanted to be a runner like Cathy Freeman. She had a huge influence on my life, even to this day. I think that’s why I’m so aware of the role I play in the community to continue to have a similar impact, or any impact, on a child’s life the way that Cathy impacted mine.”

Perhaps inspired by Freeman, Houghton has now taken a similar approach to supporting the Cockatoo-Motlap twins, as young Indigenous women, just starting out in AFLW.

“The twins are so young and a little bit shy, but are so lucky to have each other,” Houghton said.

“I have been in the AFLW now for, this will be my seventh year, and I know the emotions they’d be feeling so I’m loving kind of taking them under my wing.

“I picked them up for the NAIDOC Awards yesterday and I stir them up a bit, but it’s all good fun. They are hardworking on the field and really talented footballers. I can’t wait to see how they go this year.”

You can learn more about NAIDOC Week at www.naidoc.org.au.