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ANSL Chairman Michael Anderson at the recent opening round of the 2008 season in Moree. |
Bus companies refuse Aboriginal footballers: Anderson
Issue 151 - 17 Apr 2008
By Chris Munro
RUGBY LEAGUE, May 1, 2008: Creating more headaches for the grass roots Aboriginal Nations Super League (ANSL), several local bus companies in the far north west of NSW have allegedly refused to hire-out transport to any league footballers associated with the ANSL, according to the competition's chairman Michael Anderson.
"What in the world is going on? All we are trying to do is play football, not organising a major revolution to take control of the country or the outback," Anderson said.
Vice Chairman of the ANSL and former bush football great Doug McGrady also questioned whether the sudden about-turn from the transport companies had something to do with the fact most ANSL footballers are Aboriginal.
Not having adequate transport for a sizeable chunk of the expansive competition is the latest hurdle for the community organisation, which is entering its second year of operation.
The ANSL last year filled a void in organised rugby league throughout the region, which had been neglected since the collapse of Group 16 in the early 1990s.
Local shire councils in the region have also been accused by the rebel league of discrimination for hindering access to local ovals, resulting in the cancellation of several of this year's opening rounds.
According to members of the ANSL, the rival Country Rugby League (CRL) competition booked ovals around the region for the entire year to ensure the ANSL would be unable to stage a game.
Anderson says this latest roadblock will force the Aboriginal community to purchase its own transport to ferry players between towns, where travel times routinely stretch beyond four hours.
"It seems that we are going to now raise our money to buy our own buses for our people," he said.
"This way we will show that we are and can be totally independent if this is what they want."
Both McGrady and Anderson said that the door to negotiation with the CRL was still ajar.
"We hope that in this, the Centenary Year of rugby league, we can set aside differences and let the game grow in the manner that it should," McGrady said.
 
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