Rirratjingu Football Program

The Rirratjingu Aboriginal Corporation uses Australian Football as a vehicle to address anti social behaviour at Yirrkala Community and provide opportunities and pathways to committed individuals that seek to pursue opportunities not readily afforded footballers from North East Arnhem Land.

In 2015, the RAC developed the Rirratjingu Football Program. A place based program at Yirrkala, participants have the option to be involved in Australian Football across a full calendar year through firstly, the Djarrak Football Club from Yirrkala, and secondly the Darwin Buffaloes Football Club that compete in the Northern Territory Football League.

The Program has the two key pillars which it strives to fulfil. Better People Make Better Players ensures that a major focus goes towards the make-up of the person before talent. Healthy behaviours including work attendance or school attendance are heavily promoted and a major selection tool for games at Yirrkala and the opportunity to travel to Darwin in the NTFL season. Building Our Legacy provides an onus on the current group to be good ancestors of the club, thus leaving it in a better place for those who follow. Todays players are essentially caretakers of the Djarrak guernsey and strive to elevate what it holds special for the players and supporters.