Dhurrkay makes his move

From an island in Arnhem Land to the metropolis of Geelong, a young man with football in his blood is pursuing his dream. LACHIE YOUNG caught up with Cats VFL recruit Lochlan Dhurrkay

FOOTBALLERS from all walks of life share similar traits.

Strength, speed, endurance, athleticism and an ability to execute high-quality skills are just some of the attributes players around the country have in common.

But what separates the elite from the amateurs is more than just being stronger or quicker, or being a better mark or kick for goal.

It is the intangible qualities — those such as commitment and dedication — that make them successful.

For Lochlan Dhurrkay, commitment and dedication come naturally — whether it is flying two hours from his island home of Galiwin’ku in northeast Arnhem Land to Darwin and then back again just to play football every week, or making the agonising decision he made recently to say goodbye to his wife and children to pursue his dream of playing on the big stages in Victoria.

He hopes his latest move, from the top of the country to the south, will take his football to a new level.

And while it is hurting him deeply being away from his family, he has come to Geelong’s VFL team with their blessing and unconditional support.

“It’s pretty hard leaving my family and my wife and kids back home, but I just continue on. I’m following my career and my goals,” Dhurrkay said.

“If I get the chance I will fly back to see them and my mum and dad. They miss me and I miss them too, it’s hard, but I’m following my footy career.

“My wife told me to just go and follow your career and be a role model, so I want to be a good role model for my community and my people and make my community proud.

“It’s a big step for me but I love playing footy and I’ve been playing in Darwin and the Northern Territory and was lucky enough to get a call from the Geelong VFL team.

“It’s very exciting. I found it pretty hard in the first place but I’m getting used to it and the boys have been really good.”

Galiwin’ku is the largest and most remote Aboriginal community in northeast Arnhem Land and has a population of slightly more than 2000. Dhurrkay’s talent quickly saw him identified as a player of interest, however, and he has spent the past two seasons plying his trade with Palmerston in the Northern Territory Football League.

He came across Geelong’s radar thanks to the club’s Next Gen and VFLW highperformance assistant Nelson Browne, who had been working in the area and thought he would be capable of transitioning to life away from his home town.

The Cats will ensure Dhurrkay gets back to Galiwin’ku to see his wife and children whenever possible — with bye weekends during the season set aside for him to travel — but Browne said the 22-year-old had already shown enough signs he was determined to succeed as a VFL player.

“I was based up in Arnhem Land for a while, in different communities, but they are pretty much in touch from community to community,” Browne said.

“When there is someone who is showing some form and talent, word gets around pretty quickly, and to his credit he got the opportunity to go and play in Darwin in the last couple of seasons in the NTFL for Palmerston and really shone there and stood out, so much so that the NT Thunder gave him a call to train with them.

“Being in his community there is a lot of travel. It’s a big enough step just going from his island community to Darwin to train with the Thunder … but he got an opportunity through an organisation down here called the Marrma’ Rom foundation to make the transition down.

“Obviously we kept an eye on Lochie in that time while he was playing in Darwin and were more than happy, if he was able to make the transition, for him to come and try out with the VFL side, but by no means is it a free ride or a free access pass, there are no sympathy votes or anything.”

Football enthusiasts will recognise the Dhurrkay name.

From 1995 to 2000, Gary Dhurrkay — Lochlan’s uncle — played 72 games for Fremantle and North Melbourne before retiring to focus on his Aboriginal cultural beliefs and become a community leader in Arnhem Land.

He was considered a hero in his home town, but tragically, in 2005, he was fatally injured in a car accident.

Lochlan Dhurrkay was only nine years old but remembers the incident left his community reeling.

It is unmistakably an emotional topic but he says his uncle has remained a constant in his thoughts and an inspiration for him to achieve great things in the game.

“It was back in 1995 when my uncle was drafted and when he was in that car crash it was a pretty sad day,” Dhurrkay said.

“Everybody was very supportive though and gave me encouragement to follow my dream and be the next Dhurrkay star.

“He was a big role model for Arnhem Land and inspirational to me, so I’d love to follow in his footsteps.”

In the coming weeks, Dhurrkay will get his chance to play in practice matches with the Geelong VFL side, where he will test himself against some of the country’s best state league footballers.

It is not the first step on his way to the big time — that happened many years ago — but it is a significant one all the same, and he will need to call upon all of the commitment and dedication that has brought him to this place.

As Browne puts it, he is here for a reason, and playing games will simply be a case of Dhurrkay ticking yet another box.

“It’s not just his small community that he is representing, he is actually representing a whole region of 14,000 square kilometres and 15 different communities,” he said.

“Everybody is following the story and are right behind him giving him their support.

“He has worked really hard for this and has ticked every box, just like everybody else, and the proof is in the pudding. It’s a real credit to himself and the hard work he has done.”