A-League duo's mission to inspire next gen Indigenous footballers

This week is Indigenous Football Week, run by John Moriarty Football. Adelaide United pair Bailey O’Neil and Emilia Makris speak to aleagues.com.au about the power of culture and how they are trying to inspire the next generation of Indigenous footballers.

Bailey O’Neil and Emilia Makris. They’re in the infancy of, not only their sporting careers but lives. Yet, the young Adelaide United pair carry weight on their shoulders. It is something they are embracing.

O’Neil, 19, is an Arrernte and Yankunytjatjara man from Adelaide while Makris, 20, is Dhudhuroa and Yorta Yorta woman. Both are among a select few Indigenous footballers currently in the A-Leagues.

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It highlights the low level of Indigenous representation at elite level. It is also fuelling O’Neil and Makris to inspire the next generation.

This week is annual Indigenous Football Week, run by John Moriarty Football, which leads various programs – from school-based initiatives to encourage attendance, good behaviour and healthy eating through to the identification of elite talent.

This week A-Leagues will be celebrating Indigenous Football Week and the incredible work John Moriarty Football does. You can help change the life of Indigenous kids in remote Australia through football by donating to JMF -> www.jmf.org.au

Speaking to aleagues.com.au, Adelaide young gun O’Neil said: “Only being the one of the few A-League players, it really pushes me to try and inspire and encourage the next generation of Indigenous kids to hopefully look up to me one day.

“If I can perform at a very good level and just be a good role model, be a good person, not only on the pitch but off the pitch be inspirational, and now I feel like they could look up to me, really aspire to be a professional footballer as well.”

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JMF is a foundation set up more than a decade ago by John Moriarty – the first Indigenous player selected for Australia – and his wife Ros. JMF is entirely reliant on private and corporate donations to run its programs in more than 18 communities in NSW, Queensland and the NT, working with more than 20 schools and providing coaching to thousands of children each week.

At the heart of it are JMF Scholarships and Pathways initiatives, providing a life-changing pathway for talented young footballers aged 10-18 years in its grassroots JMF program who show exceptional sporting ability and a desire to work hard at school.

New research from Deloitte Access Economics has highlighted the impact JMF is having in regional Australia, with some of the key findings including:

53% of educators reported an improvement in students’ fundamental movement skills as a benefit of the program in 2024
72% of female student survey respondents indicated they felt excited or happy about attending school on JMF days
School students are attending 1-2 days extra each week, where previously they would have been absent due to JMF clinics
60% of JMF participants and 43% of coaches are women
74% of coaches are Indigenous and local to the community in which they run JMF clinics

Bailey O’Neil. Image source: Adelaide United

Australia youth international O’Neil, who is dreaming of making his Isuzu UTE A-League debut this season having impressed at NPL level, added: “It sparks a fire in my belly. It’s disappointing that there’s only a couple of us in the A-League. As you can see in the AFL and the NRL, Indigenous people are very talented athletes. They have good athletic abilities to play sport at a very high level.

“It motivates me to really push to be the best version of myself on the pitch. Because then, it can inspire maybe young Indigenous kids who play AFL or NRL, they can say, ‘okay Bailey’s playing football, he’s doing really well, he can make a good living out of that’.

“Hopefully that can inspire them to maybe say, ‘oh I want to play football’. Hopefully it can inspire a lot more of Indigenous kids to play football at a high level.”

The responsibility, even for a 19-year-old, is not daunting for O’Neil, who was inspired by Adelaide and A-Leagues legend Travis Dodd – the first Indigenous player to score for the Socceroos – in his formative years. As well as another proud Indigenous footballer – Jade North.

O’Neil is embracing it all.

“I think it’s a good thing because pressure builds diamonds,” he said. “I feel like this sense of responsibility is a good thing. It forces me to be the best version of myself.”

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Emilia Makris. Image source: Adelaide United

Makris, formerly Murray, is of the same mindset.

Back at Adelaide United following a brief stint with Ninja A-League premiers Melbourne City, the talented attacker – who has Greek heritage on her mother’s side – told aleagues.com.au: “Before every game I always I know what I’m representing.

“I’m representing my family, it’s not just me, I’m playing for something bigger than myself.

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“I think of little me and how I can represent them and also encourage them to know that they can do exactly the same as me and grow up and, you know, be on, yeah, be in the a league, be in the world stage. Yeah, I just want to be an example so that they know that it’s possible.”

Breaking down barriers and providing pathways is vital, but at the heart of it all is culture.

Indigenous culture has unlocked the ability of both O’Neil and Makris.

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“I always wear a band around my wrist with the flag on it,” Makris told aleagues.com.au previously. “And sometimes I write little sayings or Aboriginal symbols to help me get through the game when maybe I make a mistake. I look at my wrist and it helps me keep going.

“When you’re proud of who you are and content with yourself in general life, you play so much better on the pitch.”

O’Neil continued: “My culture means a lot to me. It’s very important. It encourages me to try and do the best I can do, and try and be a role model to the younger Indigenous kids.

“It pushes me to be my best. I feel a sense of responsibility, like to my ancestral bloodline, the people before me.”

How you can support John Moriarty Football

For just $50/month, you can support an Indigenous child in remote Australia to participate in John Moriarty Football’s transformational football skills program, supporting them to attend more days of school, build resilience and access pathways to new opportunities.

Together we can create a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children thrive.

DONATE NOW AT JMF.ORG.AU