As the league continues to celebrate Sir Doug Nicholls Round, we wanted to take a moment to acknowledge the work being done by our First Nations Strategy and Player Development Manager to drive development outcomes up and down the New South Wales Coast.

Jarred Hodges has been the driving force behind our ARA First Nation’s Foundations program, which is operating at five hubs including Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Central Coast, Sydney, and Shellharbour.

The program, which has just wrapped up for the second year, has reached 400 First Nations boys and girls aged from 11 to 18 years old.

First Nations Foundations participants are engaged in AFL skills sessions, as well as cultural education and mental health workshops over several months of training sessions that culminate in a camp.

At the outset of the program, the QBE Sydney Swans Academy had seven First Nations participants. On the back of the ARA First Nations Foundations program, that number has increased to 62.

The success of the program extends beyond talent outcomes, with 80 per cent of staff engaged in the program identifying as First Nations people.

Sydney Swans CEO Tom Harley said the club wants to create pathways for First Nations staff and athletes at both the community and elite level.

“We are really proud of what we have achieved through our First Nations Foundations program so far. The feedback from families has been wonderful and it is clear participants are getting so much more than coaching out of it – it’s having a genuine impact in the community,” Harley said.

“Jarred Hodges has put in a mountain of work to bring the program to life and its success is largely due to his hard work and passion. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Jarred, as well as ARA for their incredible support.

“We look forward to continuing to build on the work being done through the ARA First Nations Foundations to create pathways and opportunities into the future.”

 Our Marn Grook guernsey 

The Sydney Swans 2024 Marn Grook guernsey has a special connection to the ARA First Nations Foundations program.

The artwork, that depicts a black swan whose feathers transform into an elder, Gumaraa, meaning ‘wise old man’. 

Gumaraa is looking back on country across Sydney Harbour, while three Aboriginal warriors spearing fish for the Sydney Swans players. 

The artwork was born from a cultural workshop in the first year of the First Nations Foundations program, where proud Yuin artist Richard Campbell worked with program participants in the Shellharbour region. Richard is the uncle of former Sydney Swans player James Bell.

You can read more about our ARA First Nation’s Foundation’s program in the Daily Telegraph.