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In their island home of the Tiwi, four young women - Arthurina 'Rina' Moreen 18, Julianna Kerinauiua 18, Freda Puruntatameri 15 and Jess Stassi 22 - dare to dream. Within the nurturing environment of Tiwi College the girls are flashy, cocky and confident. Known as football champions in the making, here the girls know only fun. However, when quietly pressed for an answer - what's next? - desire kicks in and all four girls share one dream: to become Aussie Rules Football stars. But to do so means making their ambitions public. Such 'boastfulness' runs contrary to what it means to be a Tiwi woman. In remote communities women tend to fly under the radar. However via their grandmothers we witness new hopes and aspirations for this generation - clearly there is support for these girls if the opportunity to play footy for real, arises.And a visit from Talent Scouts is about to change futures. Can the girls overcome shyness and put themselves out there? Do they have what it takes to play football down south, 3500km from home? When the girls sign with a Melbourne based club they must pledge to move, overcoming personal hurdles of homesickness, smoking, sacrifice and commitment; they must learn how to navigate an elite training regime and discover what it takes to walk in two worlds. They must balance cultural respect with the demands of coaches. Boyfriends will need to be placed on hold. At times, family will be forced to run second. What the girls learn is being best on ground in a remote community, surrounded by family and the strength of ancient culture, does not necessarily translate into an easy run down South. Resilience is a slippery beast. Can Rina, Julianna, Freda and Jess shoulder the weight of expectation and the pressure of being trailblazers?
And then Covid scuttles dreams; Clubs don't follow through; Freda puts herself into the national draft and is unsuccessful; the girls become young mums and new realities begin to settle and the girls based on their experiences down south find new ways to thrive. Football dreams may be on hold but family and community are a constant and back on island, surrounded by what they know - family, fishing, hunting and football, the lives of these young women are richer for daring to dream.
LIKE MY BROTHER explores the lives of ordinary girls with extraordinary talent on a quest to play football for real.
Rated: G
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Moncrieff Entertainment Centre, 177 Bourbong Street,Bundaberg,QLD,Australia
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