The RAP was formally handed to Reconciliation Australia by Swans champion and Australian of the Year, Adam Goodes at a function in Sydney this morning.
The launch of the Club’s RAP coincides with the AFL’s Indigenous Round which kicks off with the Swans playing Geelong on Thursday night at the SCG, as well as National Reconciliation Week.
Sydney Swans CEO Andrew Ireland said launching a Reconciliation Action Plan was a natural step forward for the Club.
“Our Club has always maintained strong links to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and this RAP formalises our desire to strengthen those ties,” Ireland said.
“Thirteen years ago our Club established the ‘Marngook game’, a match to recognise Indigenous Australia’s impact on Australian Football and this Thursday night, we are proud to launch the AFL’s Indigenous Round at the SCG.
“We have seen first-hand the enormous contribution Indigenous Australians have made to Australian Football, and through two in particular - Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin - we have seen two great footballers, but also two fantastic role models who have both played an integral role in the establishment of this RAP.
“One of the major undertakings in our RAP is providing greater support for the Goodes-O’Loughlin (GO) Foundation, which does outstanding work in the Indigenous community."
Goodes, along with O’Loughlin have championed the Swans’ RAP and will both sit on the Sydney Swans RAP working group. In his foreward to the Sydney Swans RAP, Goodes said he was proud the Club was doing its part to promote reconciliation.
“As part of this RAP, the Club is making a number of significant undertakings, including a commitment to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment within the Club, as well as the implementation of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander talent stream as part of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy,” Goodes writes.
“Sport, and in particular Australian Football has a history of influencing change and tackling social issues. With the AFLPA and a number of clubs, including the Sydney Swans, implementing Reconciliation Action Plans, it is a strong and important message to the broader community that we can all be part of reconciliation in Australia.
“I encourage everyone associated with the Swans, our many members and supporters around the country, to read through the Club’s RAP.
“Be proud that the Club is doing its part for reconciliation, and consider how you can support Australia’s important reconciliation journey."
Key action points of the Sydney Swans RAP are as follows:
- Development and implementation of an Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander employment strategy.
- Establish an Indigenous Talent Stream as part of the QBE Sydney Swans Academy.
- Increased administrative support for the GO Foundation.
- Entrench Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander recognition in Club events and activities including; Acknowledgment of Country to be played on the big screen before each game, Aboriginal flag to be flown at all home games.
To view the Sydney Swans Reconciliation Action Plan, please click here.
