LIKE GOOD NEWS STORIES? Click here to LIKE 'The Best of Ballarat', a page designed to showcase the very best of our city.

The second Central Highlands Football League Indigenous fixture will see Rokewood-Corindhap taking on Dunnstown at Rokewood on Saturday. 

Aaron Clarke, a Rokewood-Corindhap player, instigated the initiative after being racially vilified by a spectator during a match. 

“I hope this turns a negative into a positive,” the Centacare Indigenous liaison worker said. 

“We need to raise awareness and get the message out there that racism is never OK.” 

Mr Clarke, from the Latje Latje tribe, said by holding this event at a local football match, it brought multicultural issues in the community and sport to everyone’s attention. 

He said he had a great sense of pride to see it all fall into place and see people come together at such events and recognise the issue. 

“It isn’t just about the football and netball community, it’s about the greater community coming together to acknowledge the issues that can face multicultural sportspeople and make a stance against racism in sport and everyday life”.

He said racism continued to exist in Ballarat and in its sport, and needed to be eradicated.

“I think a lot of people see racism as an issue, but are scared to talk about it. 

“My volunteer role as an Indigenous ambassador for AFL Goldfields gives me the opportunity to provide education and training to clubs around issues that Indigenous players can face and how they can manage them. It’s about giving people the tools and knowledge to recognise when something isn’t right and to take actions to remedy it.” 

The event will include children’s activities, a welcome to country and traditional smoking ceremony before the seniors matches, and a special uniform and ball used by the senior teams. 

The Ballarat Football League will hold an Indigenous round at the end of this month, coinciding with the AFL.