Photo Credit: Cricket NSW
Australian Indigenous Women’s Cricket Team captain Hannah Darlington, and Biripi man Tyran Liddiard, the cricket-playing son from a famous NRL family, are set to mentor Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students at an Indigenous Pathway Program in Sydney on Monday.
The program, at Cricket Central in Sydney Olympic Park, is the third of three similar programs, funded by the Cricket NSW Foundation and designed to increase opportunities to participate in cricket for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students.
Darlington and Liddiard will be joined in guiding the teenagers through the program, that features both cricket and cultural activities, by legendary Indigenous cricketer Andrew Gordon, alongside NSW Blues, Chris Green and Tanveer Sangha.
Darlington, and Liddiard, the son of former Parramatta NRL star Glen and nephew of 1983 premiership winner, David, were both named last week in the respective Australian Indigenous women’s and men’s teams to tour Vanuatu in May, Tyran is the captain of the NSW Men’s Indigenous Cricket Team.
The cricketing pair, like Liddiard’s father and uncle, are invested in mentoring Indigenous youth. Both Glen and David Liddiard have won awards for their services and work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Kamilaroi woman Darlington, who plays for the NSW Breakers and Sydney Thunder, said the program could open doors – and eyes to opportunity – for the youngsters.
“The impact a program like this can have on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth allows them to see other people like them to all come together and play a sport they love,” Darlington said.
The program will begin with a Welcome to Country from Dharug elder, Uncle Greg Simms, and Gordon said the mix of cultural and cricket elements was a hit at the inaugural CNSW Foundation Indigenous Pathway Program in Orange last month.
“My favourite part of the day is being able to talk and understand challenges the kids face with their game, or just being an ear to hear some of the challenges they may face with life, and how playing the game of cricket can support and embrace those challenges like it did for me,” Gordon said.
The Cricket NSW Foundation is the charitable arm of Cricket NSW and is dedicated to funding programs that enable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and teenagers to play our great game.
