The Flying Boomerangs are the underage Indigenous Australian Australian rules football team for men (the underage women's team is known as the Woomeras and the senior team is the Indigenous All-Stars).

From 2008 to 2017 the team toured overseas playing tests against junior teams from Papua New Guinea, South Africa, New Zealand and developing pacific nations. The team was hosted by the AFL NT and based in Darwin, Northern Territory.

In 2018 the AFL Commission restructured it to become part of the AFL's diversity program and it now participate in an annual match in Melbourne against a World Team consisting of underage players with a parent born outside Australia.

Identity

The team is named after the aboriginal hunting tool, the boomerang. The team wears the colours of the Aboriginal flag - A black guernsey featuring a yellow upside down boomerang below which are red stripes.

History

In 2013, the Flying Boomerangs toured to play the South African national Australian rules football team in both Australia and South Africa. They toured Papua New Guinea, the first international team to defeat them in Australian rules football and also New Zealand winning both matches.

Apart from representing Australia in international Australian Rules Football, the Flying Boomerangs team members have gone on to play in the Australian Football League.

Other tours include Papua New Guinea (2009), Tonga (2010) and Fiji (2011) to compete against the underage Oceania and Pacific Islands teams. Andrew Mcleod (head coach) and Chris Johnson (assistant coach) were also part of the team in 2010. In 2017 Barry Lawrence was named head coach and Harry Miller as assistant coach.

The Flying Boomerangs have been featured nationally in a documentary on ABC TV during their tour to South Africa.

Notable matches and tours

Matches
YearDateOpponentResultStadiumCaptain (vice-captain)CoachBestCrowdNotes/References
2017DecemberNew Zealand AcademyFlying Boomerangs 26.9 (165) def New Zealand Academy 3.2 (20)Outer Oval, North Harbour StadiumFrank Szekely
2017DecemberSouth Pacific All StarsAlbert Park (Suva) FijiBarry Lawrence
2013DecemberNew Zealand New Zealand (U16)Flying Boomerangs 16.23 (119) def New Zealand 2.3 (15)Hutt Park Wellington, New Zealand
2013FebruarySouth Pacific NationsFlying Boomerangs 13.5 (83) def South Pacific 10.9 (69)Blacktown International Sportspark
2013JanuarySouth Africa South AfricaFlying Boomerangs 17.15 (117) def South Africa 4.8 (32)Durban
2011FijiAndrew Mcleod
2010Tonga
2010South Africa (Coastal Squad)Flying Boomerangs 17.10 (112) def. South Africa (Coastal Squad)Nyanga Cricket Ground, Cape Town
2010South Africa (Inland Squad)Flying Boomerangs 9.13 (67) def. South Africa (Inland Squad) 8.9 (57)Mohadin Cricket Ground, Potchefstroom
2009Central Highlands (Papua New Guinea)Flying Boomerangs 7.10 (52) def. Central Highlands 2.2 (14)University of Papua New Guinea Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea8,000
2009Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea (U18)Flying Boomerangs 9.11 (65) def. by Papua New Guinea (U18) 9.12 (66)Lae, Papua New Guinea2,500
2008South Africa South AfricaFlying Boomerangs 11.10 (76) def. South Africa 8.9 (57)
2008South Africa South AfricaFlying Boomerangs 19.9 (123) def. South Africa 2.11 (23)

Sponsors

  • Qantas (2010-2016)
  • Rio Tinto (2017-2020)

Alumni

See also