Image: Shepparton Advertiser (Vic), 15 Feb. 1946.

The All Blacks football team of 1946

Formed in 1946, the All Blacks was an all-indigenous football team from the Flats between
Mooroopna and Shepparton. The story of the All Blacks can be explored and presented as a triumph
of Indigenous agency, rejecting prevailing ideas of a desperate, hopeless people on the margins of
society.

On February 15, 1946, Shadrach James wrote

a letter to the editor of the Shepparton
Advertiser. He wrote of the limited progress
Indigenous people had made after years of
dispossession, confinement and exclusion. He
denounced the historical neglect from
successive governments, lamenting the lack of
action, or even knowledge, of ordinary white
people towards such issues.
If all men were fed and clothed alike, James
wrote, educated alike, and dealt with alike in
every respect, there would be very little
difference between them mentally, morally,
and physically. Indeed, given equal
opportunity, Indigenous people could
progress as far as any ordinary white
Australian.
James went on, announcing the formation of
the Aboriginal Progressive Association in
order to provide the social, mental, and
spiritual uplift to the Indigenous people of the
area. It was in that letter where James
declared the first act to provide such uplift,
the formation of an all-Indigenous football
team. 1

They were called the All Blacks, and they were

accepted into the Central Goulburn Valley
League seconds.2

A political and sporting tradition

The All Blacks was a continuation of the
regions rich history of political activism and
sporting achievement. The team comprised of
people living on the Mooroopna Flats, whose
residents had participated in the
Cummeragunja walk off of 1939. Fed up with
a life of white control and injustice, the
people walked off the reserve to begin an
independent life, setting up in an area with
which they held a traditional association.3
Shadrach James, the All Blacks honorary
secretary, was the son of Cummeragunja
teacher Thomas James, and was one of the
many Cummeragunja activists who gained
prominence in the 1930s. Thomas James
taught and inspired such influential people as
Douglas Nicholls, Eric and William Onus, and
William Cooper, who later formed the
Australian Aborigines League.4

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William Coopers son, Lynch, played for the All

Blacks, in addition to being the newly-formed
associations president. Cooper, who was also
world sprint champion, believed that
Indigenous individual ability had been long
proven in sport, but it was now time they
were provided the opportunity to prove
themselves as a team.5

Daishs Paddock was literally the home of the

All Blacks. Settling on the Mooroopna Flats
after the walk off of 1939, residents endured
poor housing and sanitation, with flooding a
primary concern. Rising waters forced many
to move to higher ground, and Daishs
Paddock, which doubled as the local rubbish
tip, soon became a permanent home.8

However, the All Blacks were not the first allIndigenous team from the area. Indeed,
several members had played for the
successful Cummeragunja football sides in the
1920s.6

Challenging living conditions were brought to

light many years later as part of a push by
white authorities to enforce assimilation
policies. The Mclean report of 1956 described
conditions of such fringe camps as both a
danger to health and a social threat and
source of shame for Australian people.9

The All Blacks were a sporting expression of

the Indigenous activism and resistance that
had been long associated with the region.
Living on the margins of society, the team
from the Flats was about to break through
the barriers that had been imposed on them
in their everyday lives.

A real home ground

Despite being painted as lowly people living in

miserable conditions, those living on the
Flats were not hopeless. While conditions
were trying, the people worked hard on
orchards or the local cannery while those on
the Flats maintained an organized,
supportive and united community.10

Accepted into the league, the All Blacks set

out to prepare their home ground for the new
season. With the enthusiastic backing of the
local community, in a matter of weeks Daishs
Paddock was successfully converted into a
ground fit for football.7 The quick, successful
preparation of the ground showed that
Indigenous people were able to organize
when provided the opportunity. It was yet
another continuation of a tradition of
organization that flowed through the
community.

Some would say that the location of the All

Blacks home ground was yet another
example of Indigenous people kept in their
place. Perhaps. However, this was their space.
The setting up of the home ground was a
culmination of what James and other activists
throughout the years had advocated; the
opportunity for Indigenous people to control
their own affairs. Daishs Paddock was a true
home ground, and it was to become a reality
check for those who had dismissed and
ignored its inhabitants for years.

The Season Begins

Image: Shepparton Advertiser (Vic), 5 Apr. 1946.

The All Blacks campaign began with a short

trip away to Shepparton. It was a forgettable
opening, with the visitors finding themselves
21 points behind at the final break. However,
the team from the Flats rallied in the final
quarter, keeping the hosts goalless while
pushing on with a persistent, all-out attack.
Within touching distance at the death, the All
Blacks pushed on and finally took the lead,
running away with a six point win.11 The All
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Blacks had started victorious, displaying a

level of determination that would define them
for weeks to come.

Image: Shepparton Advertiser (Vic), 7 May. 1946.

Image: Shepparton Advertiser (Vic), 30 Apr. 1946.

Round two was a complete reversal of the

tight, gritty affair of the season opener. The
All Blacks came out and completely decimated
Dookie by 153 points, with Shady James
kicking an astonishing 20 goals.12 More than
just a rout, the performance was an
awakening for the rest of the league. Not only
were the All Blacks able to rally and respond
to a challenge, they possessed the initiative
and power to dictate terms and dominate.
The first home game at Daishs Paddock came
a week later, and it was worth the wait.
Mooroopna were swept aside by 95 points,
the All Blacks recording a third straight win.
That Saturday afternoon brought a more
profound awakening for the visitors. Indeed,
not only were Mooroopna utterly humbled on
the field of play, they were made to face the
everyday realities of Daishs Paddock
firsthand.
The All Blacks domination of the league
continued, with the team from the Flats
registering ten wins from their first ten
games.
Match reports from the Shepparton
Advertiser reveal the impact of the All Blacks
on the league. Week in, week out, the All
Blacks paralysed their opponents, their play
described as scintillating, brilliant.13 The
dominance of the All Blacks was so consuming
that it led one chronicler to describe the
teams ability as at the same level as anyone
playing in the Goulburn Valley.14

The All Blacks had proven themselves as equal

to their white opponents. Their football was
of a good quality, fair yet relentless, leaving all
opponents behind. It was yet another
demonstration of Indigenous capability.
Moreover, the team represented ideas that
Shadrach James and the other activists had
long promoted. This was a team of men who
possessed both the determination to come
out victorious in the face of defeat, as well as
the strength to win on their own terms. They
just needed the opportunity.

A revelation
Enthusiasm circulated around the region
about the All Blacks, that team who had
seemingly appeared out of nowhere to
dominate the Goulburn Valley. Many
streamed to see the team from the Flats,
with the All Blacks games attracting the
largest crowds in the league. In addition, the
appeal of the team led to a number of
invitations to participate in charity games
throughout the season.15
News of the teams success even reached
Melbourne, with the Sporting Globe praising
the achievements of the all-Indigenous side,
noting the involvement of former Northcote
man Eddie Briggs and Fitzroys Shady James.16
For the team itself, participation in the league
provided a break from an everyday life of hard
work and little recognition or respect. Football
was a platform to compete on a level footing
against those they were segregated from, and
who had traditionally looked down upon
them. Moreover, the All Blacks provided
another opportunity for the local community
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to connect, with families heading out

enthusiastically to see their friends and family
compete.17

Navigating boundaries
Controversy hit the Central Goulburn Valley
League when the All Blacks, unbeaten to that
point, forfeited their round nine clash against
Mooroopna to compete in a lightning
premiership in Ganmain, NSW.18 The local
football community was incensed, with letters
to the Advertiser calling for the All Blacks to
be expelled from the league. While dismissing
calls to expel the All Blacks, the league did fine
the team for their forfeiture. 19

Image: Shepparton Advertiser, 19 Jul. 1946.

However, the All Blacks were not the only

team that had forfeited that season. Indeed,
Dookie College elected to forfeit two games
due to school holidays. There was no
comment from the football community, nor
was there any punishment.20 Despite proving
themselves equal or stronger than their
footballing rivals, the All Blacks continued to
receive unequal treatment off the field.
The decision to forfeit may not have agreed
with the white authorities conception of fair
play, but it was indeed another example of
Indigenous agency. The All Blacks were simply
continuing a long tradition of Indigenous
navigation through artificial boundaries and
resistance against imposed barriers.21 Here,
football was an escape, not a job. The
rejection of strict controls that had long been
endured further demonstrated the
importance of this resilient sporting team to
the local area.

Finals series
Despite losing their last home game of the
home and away season, the All Blacks finished
a comfortable second on the ladder. The finals
began in uncharacteristic fashion, however,
with the All Blacks losing to the minor
premiers Toolamba.22 They were to be
handed a second chance a week later, and
would not disappoint.
In the Preliminary final the All Blacks were
back to their tough, determined best. Indeed,
showing that familiar stamina, courage and
rallying powers they had displayed all season,
the All Blacks overturned a three quarter time
deficit to defeat Tallygaroopna by 11 points.23
Next up, the Grand Final, and a rematch
against their rivals Toolamba.

Image: Shepparton Advertiser, 4 Oct. 1946.

Grand final day, and a crowd of over 1500

were at the Shepparton Recreation reserve to
see the two best sides of the competition. It
was a completely different affair to the match
two weeks prior. Indeed, the All Blacks came
out firing, with a blistering 7-goal first quarter
ensuring a comfortable advantage over
Toolamba. Led by an inspired Shady James
who kicked nine goals from eleven shots, the
All Blacks held on and won by 24 points.
Thanks to a monumental defensive effort in
the final quarter, the All Blacks had done it.24
The Grand Final win was a testament to the
mental strength and determination of the All
Blacks. Leading for the entire match, bar a few
minutes, the team from the Flats resisted a
last quarter Toolamba fightback to hold on. It
was final and definitive proof that they were
capable. They were champions.

Page | 4

Image: Shepparton Advertiser, 8 Oct. 1946.

The final quarter resistance mirrored the All

Blacks everyday lives. Indigenous people
were fighters, survivors. Moreover, the All
Blacks showed that with equal opportunity
and respect, the lives of many can be
enriched.

A success short-lived?
The season was a triumph, but a continuation
was just not to be. In the absence of any All
Blacks representatives, the team was expelled
by the league for the 1947 season, despite
clearly earning a place in the senior
competition.
Hostility towards the All Blacks was shown in
the meeting of the SPC football club before
the decision was made. Club members, who
usually exercised discretion in voting, were
instructed to vote against the inclusion of the
All Blacks.25 The vote was made, confirming
that the presence of a strong, organized and
resilient all-Indigenous team was not
welcome.

The All Blacks football team of 1946 was an

expression of Indigenous freedom,
organization and survival. Despite living in
fragile situations bereft of opportunity, these
people were not hopeless nor passive. Rather,
they held strong connections with the area
and each other, celebrating their culture on
the football field every week. The All Blacks
subverted space usually controlled by whites
and made it their own. They organized
themselves, prepared their home ground,
selected teams, and beat almost all of their
opponents. They were all-Indigenous, proud
of their culture, and all-dominant.
The All Blacks were part of a tradition of
Indigenous resistance. They broke free of the
types of boundaries that have kept them
unrecognized and excluded to this day. The
team was both a rejection of white control
and a statement of their own determination.
Indeed, contrary to notions of ineptitude and
hopelessness, the All Blacks proved James
words right; given opportunity, Indigenous
people were capable of advancing.

The All Blacks team consisted of:

L. Atkinson, N. Bloomfield, H. E. Briggs, C.
Briggs, E. Briggs, W. Briggs, S. Briggs, S.
Charles, M. Charles, W. Cooper, T. Cooper, L.
Cooper, H. Edwards, Jackson, S. James, T.
Morgan, W. Muir, C. Muir, G. Nelson, R.
Nelson, A. Turner, A. Walker, K. Walker, H.
Walsh

Once again, the All Blacks suffered the

dismissal and exclusion they were already
familiar with. However, there was one thing
that could not be dismissed, nor erased; that
they were the premiers.

Page | 5

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