TIWI PROGRAM TARGETS 'ROLE MODEL' FOOTBALLERS

A new program which is turning Tiwi Island footballers away from substance
abuse could soon be trialed in other Northern Territory Indigenous communities.

The Tiwi Islands has introduced a policy for selecting AFL representative
teams that exclude footballers who use marijuana, smoke cigarettes or drink
excessively.

League secretary Kingsley Barker will travel with the Tiwi team for this
weekend's annual Umpires Carnival in Darwin.

"You can't really be serious about reaching your full potential as a
footballer if you are going to engage in substance abuse," he said.

"So footballers here on the Tiwi Islands are role models for the rest of
the community and it's important to get messages to the broader community
through those footballers."