Children reach for the stars in Redfern

‘‘It was mad,’’ Mundarrah said, nodding. ‘‘I said hello to them, the footballers; they said ‘G’day’ back. It was cool.’’

Along with a group of his All Blacks teammates, Mundarrah met Sandow, the Brisbane Bronco Petero Civoniceva and the Roosters forward Mark O’Meley. They had gathered at the Redfern Community Centre to launch the NRL’s Close the Gap round, from August 14-17.

The initiative is aimed at improving the life expectancy and health of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.

Sandow grew up in Cherbourg, a town troubled by health and welfare problems. The 20-year-old Queenslander is aware of the impact the campaign can have.

‘‘I grew up somewhere similar like this,’’ he said, pointing to the dilapidated houses of the Block. ‘‘A place with issues like this – alcohol, drugs … I had to stay away from things like that to be where I am now.’’

As the school kids tackled the footballers Sandow cried out playfully, ‘‘You tackle too hard.’’

He spoke about the difference between life expectancy of indigenous people and other Australians. ‘‘It was a shock to me,’’ Sandow said. ‘‘We’ve got a lot of catching up to do. I hope we’ll close the gap soon.’’

What did Mundarrah and his school friends learn from the football stars? ‘‘Be healthy,’’ he said. ‘‘And play footy.’’

Also attending the launch was the NRL chief, David Gallop, who said the code’s support for the round would raise awareness of Close the Gap. ‘‘With 11 per cent of our players having an indigenous background it’s a unique opportunity for us to help community awareness around these issues,’’ he said.

‘‘The fact that indigenous Australian life expectancy is 10 years less than for other Australians is a cause of great concern. …

‘‘We want to help provide a level playing field for indigenous Australians … who face higher risks of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and kidney failure.’’

An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and the chairman of the Close the Gap campaign, Tom Calma, praised the NRL for its participation.

"Closing the life expectancy gap by 2030 requires a team effort by all Australians – indigenous and non-indigenous," he said.

Source: www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/08/04/1249350548328.html?feed=fairfaxdigitalxml