Glendore Public School hosted the inaugural NAIDOC Cup competition against Maryland Public School on Friday 26th July 2024. The idea for the creation of this annual NAIDOC touch football competition came from students who participated in Glendore’s Junior Aboriginal Education Consultative Group meeting. The proposal was met with strong support from both staff and community members at both schools.
Each school selected two teams of students to represent them in the Stage 2 and 3 competitions. Teams consisted of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, as well as non–Aboriginal students.
Two trophies were created for the occasion. Robert Cousins created two coolamons, with one from each school. The coolamon for the Stage 2 trophy came from a tree on the grounds of Maryland Public School and the Stage 3 coolamon from Glendore Public School. On top of the coolamon sits a football with an artwork created by Darkinyung woman, Mrs Kerry Patterson.
The NRL supported the event by providing referees for the games. Both games were close, leaving community members on the edge of their seat. The first game was full of energy and hope with Glendore Public School winning the Stage 2 competition 6-4. The next game saw Stage 3 from Maryland Public School come out firing, scoring 7 tries to win the Stage 3 game, 7-5.
Students displayed a great sense of sportsmanship, representing their schools with pride. The NAIDOC Cup will become an annual event on both schools’ calendars, with Maryland Public School hosting the event in 2025.
