Footy an incentive to go to school

School attendance in Central Australia is a big challenge for educators.

But Watiyawanu School recorded a massive improvement this year using sport, and in particular AFL as an engagement tool.

This year, since being informed of an AFL prize, which included tickets to the game against Melbourne, accommodation and the bus ride, attendance has been 88 per cent.

There isn’t an AFL team in the Northern Territory, at least not yet, but they love the game in that part of Australia.

And on Sunday 20 Indigenous children in their red, white and black school uniform formed a guard of honour at TIO Traeger Park, waving St Kilda flags as Jack Steele led the Saints through the banner.

These kids weren’t from Alice Springs. They were from a remote community 325km west, where they attend Watiyawanu School in Amunturrngu (Mt Liebig). Despite being a long way from Moorabbin, they are diehard St Kilda supporters who worship Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera.

They travelled to the Red Centre with principal Mr Larry Kenny on Saturday after winning a prize from the Northern Territory government for the most improved school attendance in Central Australia.

“Attendance is always an issue in Central Australia, particularly in the bush. Kids vote with their feet: if they don’t like it, they won’t come,” Kenny told AFL.com.au at TIO Traeger Park on Sunday.

“We try to encourage them to come with what I call carrots. Carrots work better than sticks. We wave carrots over the kids, so the football was a carrot. We’ve had over 80 per cent attendance over the last seven weeks, which is very good for the bush.”