Live in the Northern Territory?

SATURDAY EXTRA llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllntnews.com.au Rise and fall of an ECOVERING from the He was one of the I even offered to do so myself. R wrist injury he sus- AFL’s most revered Instead, the club decided to al- tained in his last game low Liam a couple of more of 2011, Liam was unaware players but the days to sort himself out. I was that both longstanding club leap from the not entirely comfortable with doctors had resigned their this, but even I did not expect positions following a dispute remote Aboriginal the dreadful news we received with the club’s new elite per- community of the next day. formance and conditioning Late Wednesday night manager. For several weeks, Yuendumu to the Liam and Christopher Wal- Liam was nursing a broken spotlight in ker, just released from jail, wrist without a club doctor on Melbourne was too were involved in a wild brawl hand to monitor his recovery. involving dozens of people at Eventually he had to undergo big for Liam Jurrah. the Little Sisters Warlpiri surgery, delaying his ability In this new book camp on the edge of Alice to join in pre-season training. extract, BRUCE Springs. In the aftermath of Following the operation he this fight, Liam’s cousin, had to endure weeks of HEARN MacKINNON Basil Jurrah, was hospital- solitary bike and track work, — whose family ised with serious head separated from his team- wounds, reportedly caused by mates. Training in isolation provided a home for a machete, and the following PUB: was emotionally difficult for Jurrah when he day Liam and Christopher Liam, but nevertheless he first moved to were charged with his as- knuckled down and did his sault. The police rang me on NT NEWS best to work on his recovery Melbourne — gives Thursday informing me of his and fitness. an insight into his arrest. I let the club know When he did resume full private struggles what was going on, and they training he was under intense arranged a solicitor for Liam. scrutiny from the new coach- The following morning I went ing staff, who were unim- with Lees and Liam’s man- pressed by his apparent lack ager Ned Guy on a mercy DATE: of willingness to push dash to Alice Springs, hopeful through the pain barrier. For that we would be able to bring the first time ever I heard Liam back to Melbourne. Liam complain about the coa- The media went into over- 18-JAN-2014 ches. He was upset that they drive covering the story and had stood back with their we found ourselves sur- arms crossed looking sternly rounded by journalists and at him, telling him to hit the camera crews on the plane to Liam Jurrah leaving Alice Springs back in 2009 to begin his AFL career with Melbourne tackling bag harder. Liam Alice Springs. Fortunately kept explaining that his the police did not oppose bail wrist was causing terrible and the magistrate arranged pain, but no one seemed to for Liam to be released just in take any notice. It appeared time for him to make a light- PAGE: they thought that Liam was ning dash to the airport, just not tough enough. where Craig, Ned and I were For the first time in his waiting. It all happened so three-year career I decided I quickly, we hadn’t even left 20 would speak to someone at the airport. We whisked Liam the club to voice my con- The Liam Jurrah Story, by past the media throng, COLOR: cerns about Liam’s treat- Bruce Hearn Mackinnon. straight through check-in and ment. I spoke to Craig Lees, RRP $24.99 on to the plane. He looked Do you want the club’s replacement for exhausted and bewildered by Ian Flack. I explained that Alice Springs, but my worry his ordeal and hardly spoke Liam was growing increas- was that his visit was going to on the plane trip. At Tulla- to be a doctor? ingly distant and glum and coincide with the likely re- marine, Qantas had kindly ar- C that his complaints about his lease from jail of his cousins, ranged for us to take Liam injured wrist were appar- who had been in custody for down a side exit so we could M ently being ignored. eighteen months following avoid most of the paparazzi. Y Live in the Craig was obviously wor- the tragic death of his former Josh Mahoney, the Dees’ foot- ried by the issues I raised, Yuendumu teammate Ku- ball manager, was waiting in K Northern Territory? but I sensed his powerless- manjayi Watson. his car and we immediately ness to influence the new There was every likelihood sped off to my place, where coaching panel. that the feud that had been Liam would be holed up for Weeks later, when he had raging on and off for the past several days with a media If you have a bachelor degree you can apply for entry into the the last pin removed from his year-and-a-half could flare up throng on our doorstep four year Northern Territory Medical Program. wrist, Liam’s surgeon com- again while Liam was in Al- around the clock. mented that he must have ice Springs. That first night my old But hurry! You will need to lodge your application to sit the Graduate Medical been suffering terrible pain The first sign that things mate Rupert Betheras, who School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) by Saturday, 1 February 2014. Simply head to as the pin had been pressing were going sour was when the had been the person who in- gamsat.acer.edu.au to register. up against a nerve. club told me that Liam had itially arranged for Liam to All in all, as an outsider missed his flight home on the play VFL football with Coll- If you are an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander with a tertiary degree you can looking in — and regardless Sunday, after his car appar- ingwood, came over and we apply directly to Flinders University through the Indigenous Entry Stream. of who was at fault — it ently broke down on the road both kept a close watch over m / seemed that the love affair from Hermannsburg. I was Liam, who was exhibiting all ndnd outu ede u.u au between Liam and the Mel- not surprised, as the next day the symptoms of depression. FindFiF outflifl more:ndn ere s. 08 8946 7488 oorr vvisitissiti flinders.edu.au/nt-medical-program bourne Football Club had en- his cousins were due for re- He was forlorn and sullen, ded before season 2012 was lease from jail and I am sure and seemed to be in a state of even under way. It was not a Liam was determined to be shock. None of us got much good start to the year, but there for their release. As it sleep that night. The next day, things were about to get a turned out, his closest cousin, with the media still camped whole lot worse. Nathaniel Simms, was not re- out the front, teammate and On the eve of the season leased at the time because he spiritual leader of the ‘‘broth- opener, Liam’s partner Shi- had received a longer jail sen- ers’’, Aaron Davey, dropped jara received the terrible tence for Kumanjayi’s man- in briefly to check on Liam, as news that her 22-year-old sis- slaughter; his other cousins, did Cam Butler, the Dees’ ter had died in her sleep at Dennis Nelson and Christo- chaplain, and Cameron home in Hermannsburg, an pher Walker, were released. Schwab. Despite no longer Aboriginal community Liam was distraught that working at the Dees, my good about a hundred kilometres Nathaniel was still incarcer- friend Ian Flack, who had de- west of Alice Springs. Liam ated and I worried about his veloped a close bond with received permission from fragile mental state. I be- Liam, made a secret visit to the Dees to travel to Central lieved it was crucial we try to our house, entering from the Australia with Shijara to get him back to Melbourne. back to avoid the media. He support her family for a cou- On the Wednesday I spoke to was worried for Liam and just ple of days. Craig Lees and suggested that wanted Liam to know he be- CRICOS No. 00114A They were clearly grief someone should fly to Alice lieved in him and would stricken when they left for Springs and bring Liam back. stand by him. 20 NT NEWS. Saturday, January 18, 2014. www.ntnews.com.au.

Load more