OUR VISION FOR RECONCILIATION“The West Coast Eagles Football Club is committed to sustained success on and off the field and enriching the lives of the Western Australian community. The club supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and non-Aboriginal Australians working together towards reconciliation for the mutual benefit of all. We have a longstanding commitment to assisting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as demonstrated through the appointment of the Australian Football League’s first Indigenous Liaison Officer, our continued work within the ‘Eagles in the Community’ programs and our ongoing support of the Wirrpanda Foundation. We will continue to learn from, work collaboratively with and walk alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people in the reconciliation journey, and will advocate for positive change in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal relations.”Trevor Nisbett, Chief Executive Officer, West Coast Eagles Football Club.

“Being a part of the Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group has given me a great insight into the hard work that has been put into creating opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The West Coast Eagles Football Club has shown a strong commitment in supporting this plan and is continuing to build strong relationships with Indigenous people and the broader community. Being of Noongar-Yamatji heritage, I am proud to have had the opportunity to be part of the Reconciliation Action Plan and to close the gap once and for all.”Jamie Bennell, West Coast Eagles Football Club player, Wirrpanda Foundation mentor and Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group member

WAALITJ WEDGE TAILED EAGLE STORYThe Waalitj is the strongest totem in Noongar culture and only given to Mubarn (medicine) men and women because of his great strength and powers.The traditional Noongar dreaming story in short is about a great drought; the animals and Noongar people could not find any freshwater sources! The Waalitj’s eye was the only one that could find water from searching high up in the sky. The Noongar people followed him at this time of great hardship and adversity, and always found a fresh water source. The moral of the story is through great adversity, the Waalitj finds a path. His strength and power is respected and revered throughout Noongar country, because of his capacity to not simply overcome adversity, but to succeed in places that others fail.My artwork contained within the West Coast Eagles Football Club’s Reconciliation Action Plan and on the design of the West Coast Eagles AFL Indigenous Round guernsey includes tracks which connect to six fresh water sources throughout the state of Western Australia. Featured in the design is an image of the Waalitji (Wedge-Tailed Eagle) painted ready for ceremony and attack.”Peter Farmer, Noongar artist, 2014

WEST COAST EAGLES FOOTBALL CLUBAND WIRRPANDA FOUNDATION

RECONCILIATIONACTION PLAN

OUR FOCUS: MAY 2015 TO MAY 2017

RELATIONSHIPSThe West Coast Eagles Football Club understands and respects that the foundation of its success is the relationships that it is has developed and maintained with its community, members, and corporate and charitable partners.

Key actions• Celebrate and extend the West Coast Eagles participation in AFL Indigenous Round celebrations during

Reconciliation Week• Identify opportunities for West Coast Eagles and Wirrpanda Foundation staff to attend corporate partner

organisations’ Reconciliation meetings and events to gather learnings and insights and to scope RAP project and partnership potential

• Expand schools program to deepen reach of existing programs in localities and schools with significant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student populations

• Involve local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the annual AFL Community Camp• Continue to create and communicate good news stories on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players,

employees and people to celebrate values of cultural diversity and foster awareness of reconciliation responsibility, commitment and awareness.

RESPECTIt is the club’s belief that a particular level of respect should be extended to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples because of their significant position as the first people of this nation, and for the unique and valuable contribution they have historically made, and continue to make to our society, our country, to the game of Australian football and to our club.

Key actions• Engage employees in and build understanding of the relevance and significance of Acknowledgement of

Country and Welcome to Country protocols• Engage employees in cultural learning to increase understanding and appreciation of different cultural

backgrounds to underpin and inform Reconciliation Action Plan actions and commitments• Provide opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and other employees to engage with their

Aboriginal culture and community through NAIDOC events• Promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artwork within the Reconciliation Action Plan and West Coast

Eagles Football Club sphere of influence to build community awareness of value of such cultural practices.

OPPORTUNITIESIt is important that innovative opportunities which will enhance relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal people, communities and organisations are proactively identified, acted upon and supported for the mutual benefit of all.

Key actions• Investigate opportunities within West Coast Eagles Football Club to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait

Islander employment

• Maintain leading practice support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players to improve engagement and retention

• Support community programs to enhance the health and wellbeing outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

For further information and a copy of the West Coast Eagles Football Club Reconciliation Action Plan please refer to: www.westcoasteagles.com.au or www.reconciliation.org.au.For further information on the Wirrpanda Foundation, refer to: www.wf.org.au.