On top in the top end

by LES EVERETT

THE Northern Territory's new top man was sworn in on Saturday November 1.

He's a footy man.

The new administrator of the NT is singer, songwriter and story teller Ted Egan, one of the territory's best known residents. Egan grew up in Victoria and still barracks for Richmond.

When he spoke recently to australianrules.com.au Egan said it was football that kept him in territory.

"Darwin is a racial fruit salad," he said, "I noticed there were a lot of people of mixed race playing footy but there weren't many full bloods - to use an old fashioned term - playing and yet I knew from seeing them having a kick in the scrub that they were good."

While there was no law prohibiting anyone from playing the game Egan noticed all sorts of social factors keeping many Aboriginal players out of Australian rules football.

"I thought this was pretty piss weak so with a couple of others started the St Mary's football club," Egan said.

Egan was the inaugural captain of St Mary's and held the position from the 1952/53 season to 1954/55. He was, he says, no champion as a footballer but better than average. Other early St Mary's prime movers included president Wag Graham, coach Jack Sweeney and Ronnie Smith.

One day the then Minister for Territories Paul Hasluk saw Egan addressing a team in the Tiwi language and asked the builders labourer if he'd like to work with Aboriginal people. Egan became a cadet patrol officer with the Native Affairs Department: "I spent the next 27 years working for the Government in and around the bush, all because of football."

St Mary's have become the NTFL's power club winning 27 premierships and providing many players to AFL, WAFL and SANFL teams. One of the early moves south came from 1954/55 Nicholls Medal winner Bill Roe who was accompanied to WA by Egan in search of a WAFL opportunity. Roe lined up in East Perth's 1956 premiership team alongside Polly Farmer, Ted Kilmurray, Jack Sheedy and John Watts.

Other St Mary's products have included Maurice Rioli (South Fremantle & Richmond); David Kantilla (South Adelaide); Michael Long (Essendon); Basil Campbell (South Fremantle); Benny Vigona (South Fremantle); Brian Stanislaus (East Perth, Sydney) and Xavier Clarke (St Kilda).

Egan says he has argued for the establishment of an AFL team in the NT and suggested Alice Springs as the base because the weather is more suitable than Darwin. While not expecting the AFL to "bite the bullet" with regard to a territory team he welcomes the decision to play a game for premiership points in Darwin next year.

As Administrator of the NT Egan automatically becomes the patron of the NTFL: "As a life member already and a former player that will be an easy role to slip into."

Foot note: Just prior to his appointment Egan released a CD/book titled The Land Downunder (Evergreen Media). It's available in book shops or go to www.tedegan.com

The new Administrator of the NT Ted Egan. Photo by Les Everett

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