Tom loved cricket and is upset that the cricket season has ended. To cheer him up, his friend Jirra invites him back to the Djab Wurrung camp to join a game of what Jirra calls ‘Marn-grook’, telling Tom he’ll teach him how to play.
Many children join in as Jirra grabs the ball, runs, stops and spins to face them. He holds the ball in two hands over his left foot before dropping it on his foot and kicking it hard and high into the sky. It shoots off to the right and everyone chases it, all trying to be the first to get the ball. When Tom gets the ball he kicks it far and really high and is amazed when one of the boys leaps high in the air, his knees riding on Jirra’s shoulders. To Tom he appears to hover, perfectly balanced as he reaches and grabs the ball. They all play on, running, dodging, weaving, kicking and leaping for the ball. Tom loved this new game and the prospect of an exciting season ahead.
This story is set in 1846 and tells of Tom Wills who lived with his family on Djab Wurrung country in Western Victoria. He became friends with the local Djab Wurrung children, learning their language and being taught to play their game Marn-grook football. Tom Wills went on to become a champion sportsman in both England and Australia. In 1858, he pioneered in Melbourne a new football code called ‘Australian Rules’ based on the exciting game he had played as a child called ‘Marn-grook’.
At the back of the book is a short biography of Tom Wells and an explanation of the meaning and relevance of the Indigenous words used in the book.
Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander Resource
