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Woggabaliri

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Woggabaliri is described by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) as a traditional Indigenous Australian "co-operative kicking volley game".

According to the ASC, New South Wales and Queensland governments who fund its promotion in schools, it is a kicking game similar to soccer played in a group of four to six players in a circle. Author Ken Edwards wrote in 1999 that Wiradjuri around the Bogan and Lachlan Rivers in New South Wales originally played it[1] however the basis of this account has been challenged.

History

Robert Hamilton Mathews, studying Aboriginal Australian languages, listed the word woggabaliri in 1901 as the Ngunnawal word for "play".[2]

Ken Edwards Research: 1999

In 1999 Australian author Ken Edwards, Associate Professor in Sport, Health and Physical Education at the Queensland University of Technology, published a book Choopadoo : Games from the Dreamtime, in which he makes mention of a game played by the Wiradjuri people near the Bogan River and Lachlan River. Edwards provides a bibliography with six works. One of these, Bush Toys by Claudia Haagen (1994), makes no mention Woggabiliri in its analysis of traditional Aboriginal games.[3] Sport and Play amidst the Aborigines of the Northern Territory by William E Harney (1952) specifically covers the Northern Territory and does not mention Woggabiliri. Reports of the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to Torres Straits 4: Arts and Crafts by A.C Haddon (1912) relates specifically to the Torres Strait Islands. Other works cited by Edwards include Sport and Play in Aboriginal Culture then and now by Ian Robertson (1975), which relates primarily to the Pitjantjatjara people of central Australia; Sports and Amusements of the Northern Queensland Aboriginals by Walter E Roth (1904) and Games and Pastimes of the Australian Aboriginal by Michael A Salter (1967).[citation needed]

The Australian Sports Commission in 2000 cited permission to "use and adapt" Ken Edwards' Choopadoo book to publish an otherwise unsourced derivative titled Indigenous Traditional Games, listing it as one of 19 games complete with lists of rules. The ASC's John Evans copied the descriptions of the games verbatim from Edwards' book though further modified Woggabaliri with additional rules to make it suitable for contemporary children to play.[4] Though it contains a single source (Ken Edwards book) 'Indigenous Traditional Games' has also been cited as a source for Woggabaliri by others, for example by Malcom Walker (2017)[5] it is however generally not recognised by scholars. Ken Edwards was subsequently engaged to collaborate in follow up works produced by the ASC.

In 2002 the Australian Sports Commission also funded the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission to promote Woggabaliri to schools as part of the Indigenous Sports program (ISC).[6]

In 2004, historian John Maynard received a grant A$34,060 from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) to write a book inspired by the story of Woggabaliri on the history of Aboriginal involvement in soccer.[7]

Blandowski attribution and World Cup Soccer bid: 2007-

Gustav Mützel's 1862 interpretation of William Blandowski's 1857 depiction of an Australian Aboriginal domestic scene near Merbein, Victoria was discovered in 2007.

In 2007 Dr Patrick Greene, CEO of Museums Victoria discovered Gustav Mützel's 1862 engravings of findings from the Blandowski expedition, including a depiction of Jarijari in 1857 observed near Merbein, Victoria. In the background of this engraving a child can be seen kicking the "ball" with others attempting to catch it, the caption translated from German reads "A group of children is playing with a ball. The ball is made out of typha roots (roots of the bulrush). It is not thrown or hit with a bat, but is kicked up in the air with a foot. The aim of the game - never let the ball touch the ground".

In 2010 Football Federation Australia (FFA) in its Australian 2022 FIFA World Cup bid, connected the Australian Sports Commission's Edwards-based game to Mützel's image and cited the similarity to football (soccer) as evidence that football (soccer) had a history in Australia stretching back thousands of years.[8] Rod Allen, FFA media relations was quoted to say "We'd hope a wider knowledge of Woggabaliri might encourage more indigenous kids to play football".[8] This was reported in an opinion piece published by soccer reporter Tim Hilferty on 24 October 2010. This Wikipedia article was initially created on the same day based primarily from that single source and was subsequently extensively widely cited as an authoritative source in an example of circular reporting.[citation needed]

Historian John Maynard, in his 2011 book The Aboriginal Soccer Tribe, reiterating the FFA's attribution of Mützel's image, proclaimed it as Australia's first football game, and strongly link it to the modern game of association football (soccer).[9] The 2011 bestseller received a Deadly Award for outstanding Achievement in Literature.[10] Maynard's book and its reference to Woggabiliri was subsequently widely cited. A passionate soccer fan, following his Ph.D at the University of Newcastle in 2003 Maynard began studying Aboriginal involvement in 2004, writing in 2008 of the significant under-representation of Indigenous Australians in the 'world game' in comparison to Australian football.[11] Maynard joined Football Australia's National Indigenous Advisory Group in 2021. Former soccer player Craig Foster in 2011 wrote a popular opinion article supporting Maynard's theory connecting Woggabaliri with soccer.[12]

The New South Wales Department of the Arts, Sport and Recreation in 2011 promoted Woggabaliri in New South Wales schools.[13]

Controversy and hoax allegations

Woggabaliri is located in New South Wales
Wiradjuri country (location of Woggabiliri account from Edwards 1999)
Wiradjuri country (location of Woggabiliri account from Edwards 1999)
Ngunnawal country (origin of word Woggabaliri according to Robert Hamilton Mathews 1901)
Ngunnawal country (origin of word Woggabaliri according to Robert Hamilton Mathews 1901)
Jarijari country (Blandowski observation 1857)
Jarijari country (Blandowski observation 1857)
Jardwadjali country (Marngrook documented)
Jardwadjali country (Marngrook documented)
New South Wales
Victoria
class=notpageimage|
Map showing the various locations and distances involved in Woggabiliri story claims

Critics of Woggabaliri point out various inconsistencies in the story and it has been called a hoax.

As at 2023 no mentions of the name Woggabaliri attributed to the activity described in Ken Edwards 1999 book prior to its publication have been found.

Ken Edwards and Troy Meston (Australian Sports Commission 2009) stated that the word comes from the Wiradjuri language.[14] However the official Wiradjuri dictionary lists the word for play as wagigi.[15] Though it appears in the Ngunnawal language, both Ngunnawal and Wiradjuri lands and languages are distinct and distant of each other.

Critics also question John Maynard and the FFA's attribution's to the Blandowski expedition. Neither Blandowski's account or the Mützel engraving attribute any name to the activity. The tribe depicted is not the Wiradjuri but the Jarijari, groups separated by great distances. Blandowski's expedition did not travel as far as Wiradjuri country, only to the junction of the Murray and Darling Rivers.[16] The description of the activity is also identical to other much better documented activities from the same area. Tim Hilferty's 2010 opinion piece and FFA's World Cup Bid stated that the etching from Haddon Library at Cambridge University they attributed to Woggabiliri was produced in 1857, however it was actually from 1862. Interviewed in 2012 John Maynard insisted that the 1860s engraving was drawn by William Blandowski and is of Woggabiliri[17] however the engraving was not drawn by Blandowski and there it little academic evidence to support the assertion that the depiction can be attributed to the word Woggabiliri. The engraving, being of Merbein, Victoria is more than 600 kilometres away and across multiple major rivers and nations from Wiradjuri lands and therefore it is more commonly attributed by academics to Marn Grook which has been documented within less than 100 kilometres.

In 2010, Ian Syson of The Footy Almanac labelled Woggabaliri a hoax perpetuated by the Australian Sports Commission to further Australia's world cup bid and highlights the similarity between Woggabaliri and "wogball" a derogatory Australian slang term for soccer, suggesting that the choice of name may be tongue-in-cheek.[18]

Many government sites in the 2010s subsequently withdrew their references to Woggabaliri, the exceptions being the Australian Sports Commission, based in the ACT and the governments of New South Wales and Queensland. Coincidentally all three are east of the Barassi Line and therefore less inclined to support a sports cultural connection with marngrook.

Historian David Thompson (2017) while investigating aboriginal games states that Ken Edwards simply coined the term using an existing aboriginal word and attributed it to various already well documented observations across outback Victoria and New South Wales.[19]

Whereas Woggabiliri was a major platform of Maynard's 'The Aboriginal Soccer Tribe' original bestselling edition, all references to it were redacted without explanation from a revised 2019 edition which instead makes increased reference to marn grook.[20]

Modern play

Basic rules

The game as described by Sports NSW can be played by groups of four to six players standing in a circle 2 m (6 ft 7 in) apart and uses either a soccer ball or a volleyball ball. Using feet and knees only,[21] in no set order but without consecutive touches, the players attempt to keep the ball from touching the ground. The group that has the most touches in a set time wins. If the ball touches the ground the count is restarted.[22][23]

Team rules

Two teams of four play on a volleyball court sized pitch with football (soccer) goals at each end. A game consists of two halves lasting 10 minutes each. Players may use feet, knees, thighs, chest and head to keep the ball aloft with the team losing possession if the ball touches the ground, is intercepted or an infringement occurs. Tackling is not permitted, and goals can be scored from any part of the pitch.[22][23]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Woggabaliri". NSW Government. Office of Sport (New South Wales). Retrieved 20 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Full text of "The Wiradyuri and Other Languages of New South Wales"". web.archive.org. 3 April 2022. Archived from the original on 3 April 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  3. ^ pp 69 Haagen, C. (1994). Bush Toys: Aboriginal Children at Play. Australia: Aboriginal Studies Press.
  4. ^ Acknowledgements - Indigenous Traditional Games Australian Sports Commission 2000
  5. ^ Walker, Malcolm (2017). The Birth of Football. Cork: BookBaby. p. 23. ISBN 978-1-4835-9565-8. OCLC 980789255.
  6. ^ "Sports legends visit city". Port Lincoln Times. South Australia. 3 January 2002. p. 1. Retrieved 22 March 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ Emeritus Professor John Maynard Indigenous Education and Research (Indigenous History)
  8. ^ a b The Australian Game - FFA highlights indigenous soccer ties. by Tim Hilferti for The Advertiser Pg 79. 24 October 2010
  9. ^ Maynard, John (2011). The Aboriginal soccer tribe : a history of aboriginal involvement with the world game (Library catalogue entry). Broome, W.A.: Magabala Books. ISBN 978-1-921248-39-9. OCLC 742574972.
  10. ^ Outstanding Achievement in Literature from Deadly Vibe August 30th, 2012.
  11. ^ Maynard, John (3 December 2008). "Football barriers – Aboriginal under‐representation and disconnection from the 'world game'". Soccer & Society. 10 (1): 39–56. doi:10.1080/14660970802472650. eISSN 1743-9590. ISSN 1466-0970.
  12. ^ Indigenous Australians put their foot down to fully embrace the world game By Craig Foster 10 November 2012
  13. ^ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). 12 March 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 March 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  14. ^ Edwards, Ken; Meston, Troy (2009). Yulunga: YulungaTraditional Indigenous Games Traditional Indigenous Games (PDF). Australian Sports Commission. p. 36. ISBN 978 1 74013 102 5.
  15. ^ Wiradjuri Online Dictiorary - Wiradjuri Study Centre
  16. ^ Paszkowski, L.K. (1969). 'Blandowski, William (1822 - 1878)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 3, Melbourne University Press, pp 182-183. [1]
  17. ^ The Growing Soccer Tribe from Deadly Vibe September 3rd, 2012.
  18. ^ Woggabaliri November 4, 2010 by Ian Syson
  19. ^ Margrook and Aussie Rules: The Continuum of Football in Australia. David Thompson. Sporting Traditions. 2017 Vol 34. Issue 2. p. 98
  20. ^ John Maynard (2019). The Aboriginal Soccer Tribe. Balgowlah Heights, NSW. ISBN 978-1-925914-06-1. OCLC 1104207458.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  21. ^ "Indigenous Australians put their foot down to fully embrace the world game". 3 February 2023. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  22. ^ a b "Wayback Machine" (PDF). 7 March 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  23. ^ a b "Wayback Machine" (PDF). 9 May 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 May 2009. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
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