{"id":85956,"date":"2014-10-28T22:45:28","date_gmt":"2014-10-28T12:45:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=85956"},"modified":"2020-11-23T13:15:18","modified_gmt":"2020-11-23T03:15:18","slug":"footy-set-goals-for-future-leaders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2014\/10\/28\/footy-set-goals-for-future-leaders\/","title":{"rendered":"Footy Set Goals For Future Leaders"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Cherbourg State School\u2019s cleaner of 18 years, Dori Bird, gave Year 3 student Lottie Bond a Maroons shirt the day after the Queensland Murri Team visited the school (Photo: Marcus Priaulx)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Queensland Murri and Wynnum fullback Benaiah Bowie hands a shirt to William Saltner
\u00a0(Photo: Marcus Priaulx)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

October 28, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

by Marcus Priaulx<\/strong><\/p>\n

Footy creates pathways for future leaders, and the Arthur Beetson Foundation says it’s also about saving lives through football.<\/p>\n

It was founded four years ago by Arthur Beetson\u2019s sons Brad, Kristian and Mark to honour their father\u2019s rugby league legacy.<\/p>\n

Arthur (“Artie”) Beetson was the first Aborigine to captain the nation in any sport, and he’s usually regarded as the greatest post-war forward in Australian rugby league history.<\/p>\n

He died of a heart attack while riding his bike on December 1, 2011, at age 66.<\/p>\n

“Dad was a big man with a big appetite,” Brad said when the Queensland Murri Team visited Cherbourg State School on October 16.<\/p>\n

“He was man of great passion and loved his football, his people and his tucker.”<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why every player from the 54 teams who entered the Arthur Beetson Foundation Murri Carnival on September 25-28 had to have a health check.<\/p>\n

It’s compulsory for all players at the carnival.<\/p>\n

And spectators at Redcliffe’s Dolphin Oval got in for free if they had one as well.<\/p>\n

In total 1500 hour-long health checks were done over the four days and potentially fatal conditions were detected in people nobody would have suspected of having them.<\/p>\n

Junior players also had to have a 90 per cent school attendance rate to play.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“We rely on the team managers and schools to provide us with that information,” Brad said.<\/p>\n

“We\u2019re trying to get the Education Department to come on board so we know we\u2019re doing what we\u2019re saying we\u2019re doing, because education is very important in today\u2019s society.<\/p>\n

“As Indigenous people we lack doctors and lawyers.<\/p>\n

“As Indigenous people, we relate to our own kind so we\u2019re trying to create pathways to leadership through football.<\/p>\n

“We\u2019re trying to close the gap through education.”<\/p>\n

This is why the foundation has worked to find children spots in GPS colleges and other top schools through sporting scholarships.<\/p>\n

“I always say the brain is the most important muscle in your body,” Brad said.<\/p>\n

He believes education is important for everybody\u2019s future and makes for stronger communities.<\/p>\n

“You need to know where you come from and learn about your culture,” Brad said.<\/p>\n

“You need to respect the past but use education to take you forward. It\u2019s not just about football. Being a success is about being a good father, a role model.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s not about making it in the NRL. You could be a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher … anything you want to be.”<\/p>\n