YEAR 12 student and new Port Adelaide Aboriginal Academy captain Jordan Tippins says while the academy’s high-level training has helped with his football, the biggest takeaway from his time with Port Adelaide is the value of school.
Mr Tippins, 18, is completing his last year of schooling at Tyndale Christian School, and said the club’s priorities – which include not allowing players to participate in games if their school work isn’t up to par – have been a valuable lesson.
“It’s definitely helped me – it’s taught me how to work for things that I want,” he said.
“They really set us up in a way where they educate us for when we finish school, so we can get a job, and then the footy comes after.
“Having the reward of footy is good because it gives me the drive to work harder, and they’ve helped teach me the importance of having an education.”
After joining the academy in 2019, Mr Tippins had a strong year, and despite returning this year in decent form and in good nick, the South Gawler A-grader and Central District under-18 said he didn’t expect to be awarded the captaincy.
“All of us boys came together a couple weeks ago and voted as a group for who should be in the leadership group initially, and me and four or five other boys were named in that,” he said.
“Before our next game the coaches announced the captains and vice-captains… it was actually a bit of a surprise.
“I’m honoured to just be in the leadership group, and to be named captain by the boys and the coaches was a pretty good surprise.”
Other notable graduates of the AFL’s Aboriginal Academies are Adelaide’s Wayne Milera and Tyson Stengle, Geelong’s Brandan Parfitt, Gold Coast’s Izak Rankine and more.
All students complete a Certificate III in Fitness, Stage Two Aboriginal Studies, Certificate III in Sports and Recreation, and/or Cross Disciplinary Studies.