Beale’s heart on sleeve Indigenous- themed jersey stokes pride in brave pioneers
TO FULLY appreciate Kurtley Beale’s pride in his indigenous jersey you need to realise Aboriginal pioneer Lloyd McDermott quit rather than declare himself an “honorary white”.
The 14 waterholes woven into the Australian jersey to be worn against the All Blacks on Saturday night represent the 14 indigenous Wallabies.
Arguably, none is more important than McDermott, who has pioneered better indigenous rugby pathways for 25 years and championed equal opportunities as a barrister.
McDermott, 77, became just the second Aborigine to play for the Wallabies when he faced the All Blacks as a winger for two Tests in 1962.
He switched to rugby league for the Wynnum Manly Seagulls in Brisbane a year later, rather than kowtow to South Africa’s apartheid policies for the 1963 tour.
“I was told by ( the Department of) External Affairs that if I wanted to tour as a Wallaby I would have to sign a document to be an honorary white so I pulled the pin,” he said.
McDermott told that story at the Queensland Indigenous Sports Awards, where he also said his idols as a kid from Eidsvold in country Queensland were Aboriginal boxers such as Dave Sands.
McDermott has been a different style of fighter because his Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development teams banged down barriers even when the code offered little help.
“We decided to take the game to the black people because you don’t have to be Einstein to realise most Aboriginal people can’t afford to send kids to rich, private schools,” McDermott said. “It was only by coincidence that the Ellas and I went to schools that played rugby ( to even have a pathway to the Wallabies).”
McDermott will be a guest at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night when Beale will be a key playmaker.
“Being an indigenous man, to be able to recognise those guys who have had a huge impact on the game and their communities is something I’ll definitely be taking out on the field,” Beale said.
Watching video of the mercurial Ella brothers Mark, Glen and Gary excel in the late 1970s and early ’ 80s was as important as appreciating more modern figures, he said. “These guys were role models and someone I always aspired to ( be like), along with the likes of Andrew Walker and Wendell Sailor,’’ Beale said.
“They had a huge impact in the way they liked to play the game. I kinda like to think I deliver a similar style.”
Significantly, Beale’s teammates share his passion to make this about indigenous and non- indigenous alike because they are such a multicultural team. “I know a lot of the boys are super excited about wearing the jersey, which makes it more special,” he said.