NAIDOC Cup & 20 years of the AFL Western Sydney Indigenous Academy, Convened by WSYD Moving

Welcome NAIDOC Cup & 20 years of the AFL Western Sydney Indigenous Academy, Convened by WSYD Moving

NAIDOC Week 2025 marks a powerful milestone, 50 years of honouring and elevating Indigenous voices, culture, and resilience.

This year’s theme, “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy,” Celebrates not only the achievements of the past but the bright future ahead, empowered by the strength of our young leaders, the vision of our communities, and the legacy of our ancestors.

It’s a theme that deeply resonates with the 20-year anniversary of the Western Sydney Indigenous Academy, a long-standing initiative led by the AFL that has supported over 200 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students across eight partner high schools in Blacktown and Campbelltown.

The Academy provides one-on-one mentoring with a clear focus: to increase school attendance, improve Year 12 graduation rates, and support students in their transition into full-time study or employment. Students benefit from specialised in-school education sessions, additional classroom support and tuition, as well as after-school sport and recreation activities designed to enhance health, wellbeing, and cultural connection.

To mark this important milestone, AFL has partnered with WSYD Moving to convene the event at Blacktown International Sports Park whilst overlooking the NAIDOC Cup in action.

Event Details

Date: 31 July 2025
Time: 10:00am – 12:00noon
Location: Blacktown International Sports Park Oval 1. 500m from the BEST building.
Cost: Free event with catering provided

Event Schedule

• 9:30am – Registration & Refreshments

• 10:00am – Welcome to Country

• 10:05am – Official Opening – WSYD Moving

• 10:10am – AFL Welcome

• 10:15am – Mark Leavy, National Indigenous Participation Lead (20 mins)

• 10:35am – Matt Keevil-Scott, Graduate, WS Indigenous Academy (5 mins)

• 10:40am – Watch the NAIDOC Cup Games (20 mins of play and celebration)

• 11:00am – Panel Discussion: Equity, Access & Collaboration

• 11:30am – Refreshments & Connection Opportunity

Panel Discussion: Equity, Access & Collaboration (40 mins). Facilitated by WSYD Moving

• Associate Professor, Andrew Bennie, Western Sydney University, research includes First Nations sport participation

• Claire Beattie, Executive Leader, First Nations Advocate & Trailblazer in Government and Industry

• Darius Neven, Acting Deputy Director Aboriginal Health, South Western Sydney Local Health District

• Local Government Representative – to be confirmed

Panel Bios

Dr Andrew Bennie works on the traditional lands of the Darug Peoples as an Associate Professor in Health and Physical Education (HPE) and Sport Development. His research interests focus on sports coaching, factors influencing elite athlete development from a psychosocial perspective, First Nations Peoples’ sport participation, social justice, and teaching and learning in Health and Physical Education. Dr Bennie is a co-founder of Coaching Unlimited, an initiative that provides sport specific coaching accreditation and research-based workshops to support First Nations sport coaches.

Claire Beattie

Claire is a proud First Nations woman and is the Executive for Business Engagement at NAB. Claire believes in being the change and making a difference in everything she does and is deeply committed to serving NAB customers ensuring that their economic aspirations are supported and achieved. Claire’s career includes experience as a prominent senior NSW Public Servant with over 21 years of experience in government across agencies such as Transport, Department of Communities and Justice, Treasury and Education. In her career she was part of the leadership team in School Infrastructure that delivery $27.9 billion across NSW Claire also led the governance and performance of Financial Investment Review Board and the Global NSW Strategy in NSW Treasury. Claire was the first female in Traffic Operations in NSW at a Manager level and managed the St Helena Tunnel project in 2015 that delivered the first managed, operated and maintained tunnel in NSW History ($858m). Claire has been the recipient of high-profile commendations including winning and being a finalist in the NSW Premier’s Awards, winner of Resilience NSW and National Resilience Award 2024, winner of NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce Infrastructure Person of the year in 2023, a Finalist in the Australian of the Year and Young Australian of the Year Awards and Finalist in the Women’s Agenda Awards.  

Darius Neven

Darius Neven is a proud Kamilaroi man from St George in south western Queensland, with extensive experience living, studying, and working alongside both rural and urban Aboriginal communities across New South Wales and Queensland. He holds a Masters of Health Service Management from the University of Tasmania and a Bachelor of Biomedical Science from Australian Catholic University. As the Deputy Director of Aboriginal Health, Darius plays a pivotal role in supporting the governance and operational functions of the South Western Sydney Local Health District (SWSLHD) Aboriginal Health Service. He holds specific responsibility for overseeing cultural integrity and responsiveness strategies, ensuring that planning, policy development, implementation, workforce capacity building, and community engagement are all aligned with the needs and values of the south western Sydney Aboriginal communities.

This dynamic discussion will explore:

• Structural barriers faced by First Nations people in accessing sport, education, and well-being and the strengths, resilience, and innovation that are paving the way forward

• Equity in access and opportunity, particularly for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people

• The role of cross-sector collaboration in closing the gap and building community-led solutions that last

Who should attend?

• Community, Academia, education, public health, government, leisure, health, sport and recreation, peak bodies, not-for-profits, private enterprise, disability, aged care, and the social economy.

• Representatives from the wider sport and physical activity system in Western Sydney

• Physical activity enthusiasts and anyone with an interest in reducing physical inactivity in Western Sydney

• Community leaders who want to support their communities to improve health and reduce physical inactivity

Who are we?

WSYD Moving is a registered health promotion charity dedicated to tackling physical inactivity and inequity across Western Sydney. As a community-led, systems-based movement, WSYD Moving brings together cross-sector partners to co-create healthier, more connected communities. Its mission is to systemise and enable the community to reduce inequity of access to healthy lifestyles through sport, physical activity, and movement.