2012 best sports feature winner
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7/29/2019 2012 Best Sports Feature Winner
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heraldsun.com.au Herald Sun, Saturday, July 21, 2012 25
STABBING, BRAWLS AND PAYBACKLiam Jurrah was a barefoot prodigy who became
a rising AFL star. PATRICK CARLYON and
photographer WAYNE LUDBEY journey back to his
homeland and find a place torn apart by spearings,
scalpings and a boiling lust for payback.
THE MANWITH NOHOME
Liam Jurrahsmother CorinaGranites witha poster of herson in action.
Acourt order bars LiamJurrah rom going home toYuendumu, a community300km northwest o Alice
Springs, where dogs skulk and crowscall and whiteella laws seem besidethe point.
Jurrahs best reason or not coming home,since he was accused o slashing his cousin BasilJurrah with a machete in March, is that he standsto be punis hed. Not by a police of cer, mind,waving a piece o paper, but by an uncle or cousinwielding something more menacing.
A well-placed observer in Yuendumu may beaverse to the niceties o political correctness. Butthe observer is across spearings and scalpingsand blows to the head. Weapons are a commonsight in Yuendumu, and not just or ceremonies.Chainsaws and shovels, as the observer notes,arent very traditional.
Ask the policewoman who, in March, or nogood reason, was knocked unconscious when
she was attacked with a claw hammer andwheel brace outside a Yuendumu supermarket.Or the teenage girl menaced with a crowbar atthe medical clinic not long ago. Or the motherstabbed this week. Or the white woman who hadto leave town.
The alleged Alice Springs incident involvingLiam Jurrah, the source argues, was just anotherclub in the head or them. Theyre mad, thesource says o the Warlpiri people, o whichJurrah is initiated. All the other tribes are scaredo them. They just love to ght.
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26 Herald Sun, Saturday, July 21, 2012 heraldsun.com.au
THIS IS AUSTRALIA. A POLICEWOMAN GETS HIT
WHEN GOING TO THE DOCTOR AND YOU MIGHT
You can take the boy out of Yuendumu,
A footy groundfor barefoot starsand a boy walksthrough Yuendumu(below)
Jurrah standsto bemaimedor worse ifhe returns toYuendumu.He faces
payback, a traditionalcustomfarmoreancientthan theOldTestament, butrecognisedby thesame tenetof aneyeforan eye.Sometimes,paybacksgo wrong,andpeopledie,because thosewhoinflictit areblindwith rageandalcohol.Itmaybe illegal,butsowhat?
Tribal lawtrumpswhitefellalawsintheseparts.Evenpoliceofficers mandated
to stopspearingsunofficiallyadmit thattheydoindeedtakeplace.Andthedenial ofpayback,
despiteitsawkwardplace inWesternsensibilities, is whypartsof Yuendumucontinue toseetheand bubbleandhollerasthoughthe policelockupisntthere.Jurrah ishopelesslylockedinto
adisputethat exploded fromadrunkenbrawlbetweenthreebrothersinAlice SpringsinSeptember2010.Three fightersbecame six,and
sixbecame fivewhenoneofthebrotherswasstabbedandbledandlaterdied.Jurrahsconundrum, speltout
inhis 2011 biography,wasapparentat once hewas friendswithall themen,whoplayedfootballtogether.ArrivinginAlice Springssoon
afterwards, Jurrahvisited his
friendsfromthe fight inthe
hospital,thenhis friendsfromthefightin jail.Hehadto pickaside.Since thenin Yuendumu,
chunksof thecommunityof 800which hasfallento400 havebeen likenedto JewsversusMuslims. OrSerbsversus Croats,althoughthereis a difference:thedisputein questionis onesetof interwovenfamiliesskirmishingwith itself.Callsfor calmandallusions to
mediationhavecomeand gone.
Thedispute will never endpredictsoneofthe fighters,withevidentsadness.Just theotherday,the fighteruseda machetetoslice thehandofanattackingmarauderfromthe othermob.Hewill never gounarmed, he
says. Toorisky.Thistensionwasnot ofLiam
Jurrahsmaking.Hehas neverbeenplaced toquell it.Somemedia reportshaveoverstatedhisstandingin theYuendumu
community.
Yes,hewas initiated,in anannual ritual thatculminatesin amanhoodprocedure,but sotooarealmostall Warlpiriteenageboys.Andhe isnota tribalelderat23 evenJurrahsclosestkingiggleat sucha notion.Hehas been elsewhere formost
ofthepast22months,as riotsandthreatsand stand-offs ignitedinYuendumu, often triggeredby theslightest or strangest of triggers.WhereelseinAustraliacan
groceryshoppingdemand
apoliceescort?Thechaoshas oftenseemed
beyondthe reachofwhitefellaconstructs,exceptfor thecourtsthatapportionblameafter theevent andthemedicswho patchthewounded.Thecultural chasmsbetween
black andwhite,the valuesandbeliefsand systemsthatmix nobetterthan oiland water, cannotbeplainer.Westerneyes, especiallyfrom
outeast,cannothope to fully
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heraldsun.com.au Herald Sun, Saturday, July 21, 2012 27
WITH A WHEEL BRACE. A GIRL IS ATTACKED
NEED A POLICE ESCORT TO GO SHOPPING
Yuendumu is 300km northwest o Alice Springs. It isone o the biggest Aboriginalcommunities in centralAustralia, although itspopulation o about 800 hasbeen said to be dropping sinceunrest broke out in 2010. Somelocals who fed in a orcedexodus are yet to return. A highnumber o unoccupied housessuggest others have chosen tolive in Alice Springs or othercommunities.
LIAM JURRAHSDESERT HOME
SOUTH CAMP:Housing Liam Jurrahsmothers side o theamily, this parto Yuendumu wasdamaged in riots thatollowed the death oKwementyaye Watsonin September 2010.Main amilies includethe Nelsons, theGranites and Sims.
In September 2010, ahouse was torched andfve cars burnt aterthe Watson amilywas denied paybackdues it demandedunder tribal lawollowing the death oKwementyaye Watson.A dozen dierent
Watson amilymembers werereportedly chargedwith various riot-related oences.
BASKETBALL STADIUM:Uno cial neutral ground. WhenSouth members head west ohere, or West head southeast,such gestures are treated ashostile incursions.
OUTBACK GROCERY STORE:Scene o major unrest about our weeksago. West camp people locked insidewhile up to 150 South camp people,
armed with nulla nullas, tried to break in.
UTB CK GROCERY ST Rcene o major unrest about
WEST CAMP:HousingLiam Jurrahsathers sideo the amily,this part oYuendumu wasattacked by South
camp as recentlyas last weekend,when humpies anda playground weredestroyed. Mainamilies include theWatsons and Jurrahs.About a dozen Southcamp people werecharged, includingmembers o Liam
Jurrahs amily, atera bus was stolen andproperty destroyedlast weekend.
r weeksside
s ncurs ons.
BUSohesu
suth
lyd,andere
ine therrahs.
Southereingm
, atern and
o
he Watson
as denied pues it dema
under tribal lollowing the
Kwementyaydozen die
atson amembersreportedl
ith varirelated o
but you cant take Yuendumu out
Alice Springs
Yuendumu
NorthernTerritoryWA
Qld
MEDICAL CENTRE:About 70 people involved in streetunrest in May. Man charged ateranother man received severe head
and leg injuries.
ed in strrged at
A bus burnt outin the latest riot.Picture: NT Police.
Liam Jurrah was oncejust another toddler here
grasp thecomplexitiesofindigenousfrustrationhere.Whatis clearisthatthemessin
Yuendumuwas Jurrahsburdenwellbeforethepoliceaccusedhimofadirectrole inthe violence.Familyis everything, a friend
explainedafterJurrahwaschargedwith unlawfullycausingseriousharmandbeingarmedwithan offensiveweapon atnightinMarch.More precisely,a family feudis
everything.TheWarlpiripeopleare known
forfeuding. Traditionalshadesofhatredaredeepenedby alcoholand,in a spreadingproblem,socialmedianetworks.These disputescascadefor
yearsandyears,heedless ofWesternlawsand thebestintentsof observers.Opposingsideseachassume
victimstatus.Theirfamiliesmustabidebythe vendetta,andcommonsense cango tohell. Thedisputesorigins, almostinvariably,get smudgedin theirchapters.Everyfamilys gota gripe
againsteveryother familygoingbackgenerations, saysBlairMcFarland,a socialworkerwhohaslongworkedin CentralAustraliasbush communities.Throwin grogandit goesfrom
bitchingaboutaboutone anothertopeople takingup knivesandkillingone another.One crazyperson leads awhole bunchof
otherpeople to it.
And really nicepeople likeLiamget suckedinto itbecauseit isfamilyfirst.Liamsallegianceisto hisfamilyfirst.Jurrah,at 23,has beena rising
AFLstar.Hes thoughtto earnabout thesameasVictorianPremierTed Baillieu.Demonsfans wouldargue,on
hisday, that hedoesabetterjobof earninghis keep.Jurrahhasbeen a studyin
diffidence,a foreignerin thesoutherncapitalsof hisowncountry.Culturalromantics have feasted
onJurrahsjourney frombarefootprodigy.Of coursehe frettedwhentoldto swimat thebeachandjumpona treadmill.He fearedtheunknown.Heis otherworldlyand
mysterious. Anthropologists,friends,enemies andacquaintances agree. Jurrahis aproductof a tribal kinshipthatevolvedover thousandsof years,notasan etiquette, but asasurvivalmechanism.Assuch,hisfuture asanAFL
playercouldneverbehis highestpriority.Youcantaketheboyoutof
Yuendumu, saysMcFarland,but youcanttakeYuendumuoutof theboy.Yet Jurrah did escape: the
petrolsniffing scourgethatretardedhispeers, theboozethatengulfedhismates,theimpulsesthat landedrelatives
andfriendsif notinjailthenin
hospitalsandmorgues.Almosteveryone,it seems,hits
trouble.Jurrahsmother andfather anda grandmotherandcousinsand uncles theyveallhadstintsin jail.Suchlineagesarent shamefulin Yuendumu,theyjustare.Jurrahcomes froma desert
prismwhere theWesterngazedoesntoftenlingerlong,wherecarslie smashedup andburntout,andsometimeslivesturn outmuchthe same.Jurrahwasoncejust another
toddlerwhowanderedin thedust,alongwiththe dogs, amidcarparts andspillsof rubbish.Wheresmoke rises inblack curls andaneducationisntwrappedup inaclassroom.Yethegotoutof townat 20,his
facultiesintact, hisrap sheetclean.Heseizedopportunities.Hebustedgenerations ofpowerlessness.All action,littletalk.Otherswere almostas goodas
him.Mates, itssaid,his uncles,hisDad.Theyblewtheirsportingchance.Ormaybe, theyjustdidntgetone.NowJurrahcantgo home.And
perhaps, hisupcomingcourtdatesuggests, hedidntescapeat all.
Jurrahis set toreturnto AliceSpringsonMondayfor acommittalhearing.In May,
fournewchargesof aggravatedassault,against fourdifferent
people,were addedagainsthim.
Earlier,he hadpleaded notguilty tothe originaltwo charges.ThecourtcasemayendhisAFL
career.Hemayhavealreadyplayed thelast of36 AFLgames. Ifso,itwillbe aminortragedyforsportingpuristswho resistthegamescommodifiedways.Yetthecourtcasewill have little
bearingon JurrahsstatusinYuendumu,where he is notaNorthernTerritory YoungAustralianof theYear oranAFLMark oftheYearholder.HeisjustLiam.InhospitalinMarch,Basil
Jurrah toldtheHerald SunthathiscousinLiamhad toldhimnottobefrightenedbeforeassaultinghimat theLittleSisterstowncampinAlice Springs. A court hasheardthatLiamJurrahhadbeendrinkingbeforehand.BasilJurrah, according to
familymembers inYuendumu,hassincebeenjailedfor drink-driving.As youmightexpect,LiamJurrahsmother, CorinaGranites, says herson isinnocentof thecharges.Evena cousinonhis fathers
side no,no,he isnotwelcomeheresaysthe incidentwasoutofkeepingwith Jurrahsupbringingof footballandmusic.Its thefirsttimehesgot into
trouble, thecousinsays.MaybeLiamwaspoisonedfromhis(mothers)family.Lastweek,Jurrahsmother
chattedwith theHerald Sunona
blanketoutside theYuendumu
house of tribalelderHarryNelson,Jurrahsuncle.A fewdoorsdownis thepinkhousewhereJurrahstayswhenheshome.Thisis inYuendumusSouth
camp.Here, hismothers familysaysJurrahis a goodboy.InwestYuendumu,hisfathersfamily sayshe isthe swornenemy.Ahelpfullocal highlights
Balkanisedzoneson a townmap.Thebasketballstadium roughlyinthetownscentreis theunofficialdemilitarisation line.Ifa Southgoeswestof the
stadium,or a West goessoutheast of thestadium, theyareseekingtrouble. Such incursionsarerathercommon.Graniteshadaskedher son
directlyaboutthe incident, shesays.He toldher hewasnot thatkindof person. Shesayshe wasraisedin a goodway.Hedidnt learnthatkindof
way, shesays.Toholdweapons.Abandof Jurrahsupporters
fromYuendumuare expected incourt.Hewill welcomethem.EveninMelbourne,2200kmaway,Jurrahhasbeenthreatenedbyothermobs.Tryingto concentrate on
football, despitean ankle injury,hehasreceivedphonecalls.Nightandday, apparently,calling himthisand that,untiltheMelbourneFootballClubadvisedhimtochangehis phonenumber.
Continued nextpage
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Yuendumu is football mad. Magpies
LIAM JURRAHS MUM HAS A
SIMPLE PLEA: STOP PUTTING UP
PICTURES OF LIAM HOLDING MACHETES
a
Basil Jurrah inhospital (left);Souths elderHarry Nelson feelsthe stress of the
Jurrah court case
Yuendumu a spot on
the map
Granitessaysthe campaignhasupsetherfarmorethan ithasherson,as haveFacebookdepictionsof herson wieldinga machete.Hereyessquint in anger. Im reallyupset about that,she says. Idont reallylike it.
Thethreatshintof theshrillintensity of thedispute,thelongest andbiggestNelsonhasknown.If rumoursare to bebelieved,Jurrah was targetedbeforethe March incident itssaidhisverygoodcar wastrashedin Alice Springs.
Nelsonmight havebeenaCanberrapoliticianin a differentlife.A goodone.Yetlikeapoliticiansdebating asylum-seekerpolicy,for reasonsbeyondhiscontrol, hefalls short ontheultimatemeasure a solution.
Nelsondismissestalk ofpayback.
Thatsone terminology,oneword,thatputsmypeoplein avery, verydifficultposition,hesays.
Hearguesthat whitepeopledont properlyunderstand it,nordoallpeopleon both sidesof thedispute.
Yet it is the nub of Yuendumustroubles.
It explainswhy thecommunity,asa neutralobserver laments,hasbeena PRf---ingdisaster andwhyJurrahs safetyat home,regardlessof theoutcomeof hiscourt case, cannotbe assured
until thedispute isresolved.
Thecultural imperativesofWarlpirilife areparamount.Adeath ismournedas sorrybusinessfor weeks if notmonths.Ritualsare intricate andboundupinancientlore.
Theprerogativeto punishthefamily of thepersondeemedresponsiblefor a familymembersdeath,often witha spearthroughthethigh,was onceassumed.
TheWatsons andaffiliatedfamilies,suchas Jurrahsfathers
side, rioted in Yuendumuwhen
thisgesturewas notforthcomingafterthe death of KwementyayeWatsonin September,2010.
Eventsthen, asnow, werebathedin wretchedirony. Watsonwasmateswith those chargedoverthe brawl,as washis brother,Sebastian,who wasalso stabbed,andwho hassinceled thedemandfor tribal punishment.
NathanielSims,who wassentenced to at least fouryears
jail for stabbingWatson, initially
tried tobreakup thefight.
Jurrah wascloseto bothWatsons.He wasalso close toChristopherWalker, whowasreleasedfromprisonin Februarythisyearfor hisinvolvementin thebrawl.
Jurrah, theWatsons andWalkerwereall oncefinefootballersat
Yuendumu a footy scoutoncesaidWalker, whohas fiveviolent-offenceconvictions, couldhavebeenanything. . . untilgroggothim.
Walker,whosefamilyis South,
returnedto prisonin March,onremand.
Why?On Monday,he willbeJurrahsco-defendantat thecommittalhearing.
ItsstillunclearwhathappenedafterWatson died, whetherthepoliceblockedthepayback, otherfamiliesintervened,or both. Whathappenednext,however, wasnational news.
Housesand carsweretorched.Nelsonwas beaten.NumerousWatson familymemberswerechargedwithriot offences:Kwementyayes mother,fatherandbrotherswere laterjailed.About 100Southsfledto Adelaideforsafety.
TheWatsons soughtto havefamiliespermanently evicted,inlieuof payback. Thecommunityblazedbrieflyin whatbecame adebateaboutthe clash of tribalcustomsand whitefella laws. Thenthemediamovedon.
Tensionsin Yuendumu havesince flared again andagain:Southstarts trouble,Weststartstrouble.
Lastweek,elderTommyWatsonpolitely demurredwhenapproachedby theHeraldSun,which understandsthata meetingabout a month agodiscusseda(hypothetical) independentmediatorof an appropriateWarlpiriskinname andskingrouping.
Yet whisperssuggest that the
Watson clanis fractured,that
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heraldsun.com.au Herald Sun, Saturday, July 21, 2012 29
colours are daubed on walls everywhere
Liam Jurrahsmother witha WesternBulldogsbeanie
someelementswill settlefornothingless thanpayback,eventhoughauthoritieswill neversanctiona potentiallylethalexercise.Regardless, theeverydayrituals
ofhostilityseemremoved fromthepayback question.Kidsstirupone another.Womenconfrontoneanother.Yuendumuis adrycommunity,butgroggets inand tensionsarent about toease.Lastweek,localsspoke ofa
relativecalm.Its notlikeSyria,someone
offered.Yet later thatsameafternoon, policezippedabouttheYuendumustreets.Unrestloomedatoneof theYuendumugrocerystores.Itoftendoes,as a shopsign
spellingout separatesouthandwestshoppinghourssuggests:Nofightinginsidethe shop.Afightdidnot eventuate, butapointwasmade itcouldhave.Bothsideshaveexpresseda
wishforwhitefellasto stayout oftheir dispute.Yetbystanders getdrawnin.Nurseswere saidtobethreatenedabout fourweeksbackwhenSouthassembledin largenumbersfor anassault.Thenursesmistake?Wrongplace,wrongtime.SouthhadaccusedWest of
sendingan invisibleman totheirhomestodisturbthemthe
previousnight. Claimsof
supernatural trickeryand sorceryhavedottedthedisputefromthestart.About15Wests,including
children,were lockeddown inasupermarketwhileSouthgatheredoutside,armedwith nullanullas(huntingsticks)androcks.AWestmanthreatenedto split
theSouthmobby drivingthroughit.Southsthrewrocksat police.InMay, a formerfootballcoach
waschargedafterAlistairTurnerwasalmostscalped ina streetfightinvolving70-oddpeople nearthemedical clinic.Turnerneededhundredsof stitches.Theincidentis symbolic,
perhaps, forits footballing link.Yuendumuis footballmad.JurrahsmotherwaswearingaWesternBulldogsbeanieandMelbourneDemonsT-shirtwhentheHerald Sunmether.Magpiescoloursare daubedon wallseverywhere.Perhapsthe community ovalis
themost jarringsignof thecommunitysparalysis.Itwasoncea dreamfactorythat
could liftplayers,as wellas fans,fromthedysfunctiontheyinhaleeachday.Nowweedsspreaddownthe
ovalswings andpockets.Atoddlers shoeliesin a goalmouth.Plasticbagscartwheel andwilliewillies race.Footballerswhoplayedhere
together,onenight twoyearsago
blued together. Now,as a result,
thereis hardlyany footballplayedinYuendumu.Halfthetownwont stop
rumbling. Onedominohastippedthe next. Andthe careerof thetownsstarexport isinjeopardy.Still,Nelson projects
optimism.He hopes thecourtcasemayhelpheal communityriftsandsavethat career,tobring facts topredicamentslongcloggedwithrumours and
resentments.
He(Liam)wasntdraggedinbythefamilybuthe took partindefendinghisrightand hismothersright, Nelsonclaims.Yes, hewascaughtup init,he
says, butit remainsunclearwhowasdoingthe fighting.Ithinkhe might getoff.Until then,Nelsonasksthe
Melbournepublic to supportJurrah.Jurrahsmumhas a simpler
plea: Stop puttingup picturesof
Liamholdingmachetes.
SOUTHattackedWestlastSaturdayin Yuendumu.Theofficialestimatewas80
raiders,butoneobserversaid itwasmore likethandoublethat.Southwavedspears, nulla-nullas,axesandtomahawks.Morethanhalfofthemwere
women.Apparently,a womanhadsworn atanotherwomanoutsidea shopthatmorning.Westwas outnumbered.Most
sensiblyfledinto thebush.SouthstoletheWestscommunitybusandploughedthrougha humpy ofanoldman,whocoweredunderanearbymulga bush.TommyWatsonwas chasedby a
car.He ranand escapedinjury.Southsmashedup a
playground.Anddrove thebusinto awall.Andsetthe buson fire.Theallegedbusdriverwas
thoughtto beLiamJurrahscousin.Policeweremenacedwithan
axe.Capsicumspraywas used.Police arrestedat least 10Souths.HarryNelsonis believedtohave
triedto stophispeoplefromcausingtrouble. It isthoughttheyjostledhim outof theway.OneAlmaGranites, anartistof
note,wasarrestedandis duetofacecourton August21.Shewas chargedwithbeing
armedwithan offensiveweapona similar chargetoonebeingcontestedonMondaybythemanshecallsher grandson,Liam
Jurrah.
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