Indigenous Football Week 2024, running from 23 to 29 September, will bring the football community together to highlight the sport’s ability to transform the lives of Australia’s most vulnerable children and youth.
Indigenous Football Week (IFW), an initiative by John Moriarty Football (JMF) with support from A-Leagues and Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), will feature the annual Moriarty Cup, Australia’s leading charity football tournament raising funds for JMF’s ongoing programs.
The 2024 Moriarty Cup, hosted at Sydney’s iconic Allianz Stadium, will feature 14 teams from prominent Australian companies such as Paramount+, Optus, Stan, Channel Nine, MinterEllison, and Charter Hall. They will compete for football glory while supporting Indigenous children and youth in remote and regional Australia.
The theme of Indigenous Football Week 2024, ‘Breaking Barriers,’ is inspired by the life of JMF co-founder and first Indigenous Socceroo, Yanyuwa man John Moriarty, football and education transformed his life, lifting him out of poverty.
John Moriarty, Co-Founder of John Moriarty Football, explained the positive impact the initiative has on children’s faces.
“I love seeing the big smiles on the children’s faces when I visit community and join them on the football oval. Those smiles tell a story of wellbeing, resilience and opportunity. It’s why more children attend school on the days JMF runs its sessions. After our in-curriculum sessions, they concentrate better and show more positive behaviours,” he said via press release.
“More engagement with education, and improved mental and physical health – this is the power football has to change lives, just as it changed mine.”
A-Leagues and Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) will back Indigenous Football Week, celebrating alongside fans, players, and clubs.
A-Leagues Commissioner, Nick Garcia, added further comments.
“The A-Leagues is excited to see another instalment of the Indigenous Football Week, celebrating the ongoing contribution of Indigenous football players to the game. The power of football to influence impactful change is unlike any other and the A-Leagues is proud to support the John Moriarty Foundation,” he said via press release.
IFW and JMF are initiatives of the Moriarty Foundation, an Indigenous children’s charity focused on creating a thriving future for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids. Through innovative programs, the foundation is helping close gaps in education, health, wellbeing, and employment to achieve cultural, social, and economic equality for Indigenous children.
JMF’s sister program, Indi Kindi, is an early learning initiative for children from birth to five years. It combines a distinct Aboriginal teaching approach with the Australian Early Years Learning Framework. Graduates of this program are culturally strong, ready for school, and equipped with a lifelong foundation for learning.
For more information on Indigenous Football Week 2024, click here.
