CODE SWITCH
MALAKAI Dumas began his foray into sport wanting to mirror the feats of his brother in rugby league but is now determined to follow in the footsteps of mentor and Gold Coast Suns AFL player Jarrod Harbrow.
Dumas’s brother, Luke Dumas, is a former Gold Coast Titans under-20s player and the 18-year-old, who hails from Bundjalung land in Tweed Heads, spent seven years playing league for the Cudgen Hornets in the hope of succeeding in league too.
He made representative teams for the Far North Coast but after answering a call from a friend to play Australian rules for Benowa State High athlete age of 12, Dumas gave up league and never went back.
The crafty small forward with electric speed was named in the NSW team in his first year and immediately put into the Suns AFL Academy.
He initially played for Coolangatta, featuring in the club’s senior Division 2 South side last year before shifting to Palm Beach Currumbin where he has played for the colts and reserves and is banging down the door for senior selection.
Palm Beach senior coach Russell Maloney said he wouldn’t be surprised if Dumas featured in the QAFL in 2021.
“He has good hands, plenty of pace and is good around goals,” Maloney said.
Dumas, who is eligible for the AFL draft this year, is part of Harbrow’s mentoring program and wants to inspire Indigenous footballers the way his idol has.
“Hopefully I can make it to the AFL and do what Jarrod Harbrow does and follow in his footsteps,” Dumas said.
“I want to encourage young Indigenous football players to reach their goals and to be a role model for the Indigenous community.
“I have learnt a lot off the field from him, about other cultures and about becoming more aware of myself and my identity.”