Where are all the Koorie football players? The AFL and the invisible presence of Indigenous Victorians

Abstract

Authenticity plays a central role in the construction of invisibility. Framed within the colonial mindset, the ‘authentic Aborigine’ narrative deems Indigenous Victorians as invisible within mainstream Australian society. This article presents the argument that Indigenous football players residing in Victoria function as invisible and are therefore not ‘seen’ as contenders for recruitment into the Australian Football League.