A little over a year ago – July 9, 2023 – a historic football match was played at Ron Dine Reserve in Camden.
Lining up for a match that was much more than just about soccer were a team of Indigenous players and the national Maori side from New Zealand.
It was the first time an international game had been played at such a humble venue as Ron Dine, home of the Camden Tigers club.
As part of community engagement for the event, the Australian Army Defence was represented as was NSW Police – including a spectacular landing by a Polair helicopter.
Local MPs attended the event, which was mentioned, along with the Indigenous Football Program (IFP) in Parliament several times.
The soccer match itself was also live streamed, while a large crowd was on hand at the ground to enjoy the football action, as well as the pre-game entertainment.
Now, Camden Council has acknowledged the historic event by erecting a plaque at Ron Dine reserve.
A special ceremony was held on the weekend to unveil the plaque, and in attendance were Mayor Ashleigh Cagney and the man who inspired the IFP, Phil Dotti, along with fellow director Brenden Broadbent (pictured above).
Local MPs Sally Quinell and Nathan Hegarty represented the State Government at the ceremony.
Mr Dotti thanked the mayor and Camden Council for their support of last year’s international event.
“Mayor Cagney is a big supporter of improving outcomes and this was a positive outcome for all of Camden,’’ Mr Dotti said.
“Without Camden Council’s support this may not have reached the magnitude it did.
“To get the right mix, you have got to have the right people; the IFP was a success because we had the right people.
“We’ve also got to say a big thank you to the Australian Indigenous Football Council who played an outstanding role in working with the IFP staff.’’
Mr Dotti said the IFP was established to progress Indigenous football participation in Australia.
“We want to help open the doors for Indigenous footballers to pursue their dreams of competing in elite levels of competitions,’’ he said.
