On Thursday 14th August more than 120 Aboriginal, male and female, students from around South Australia competed in the inaugural Aborigianl Power Cup carnival at Alberton Oval. This great initiative was funded by the Port Adelaide Football Club, the Attorney-General's Department, the SA Aboriginal Sports Academy, the SANFL and Tandanya.

The carnival is not just about Football, the carnival has been developed to encourage and educate the students about leadership, event promotion, umpiring, coaching, life skills, design and many other valuable skills. Teams designed their own guernseys, planned and promoted the carnival and on Friday 15th attend a number of workshops which included presentations on topics such as safety, health and kinship.

Tandanya was proud to be involved with the carnival with John Packham, Tandanya's Public Program Instructor, conducting a cultural awareness session with the students, sharing with them creation stories, the history and origin of the yidaki (didgeridoo) and his interpretation of dreaming stories.

Also Tandanya developed and provided the 'Tandanya Deadly Team Spirit Award'. This award was adjudicated by the SANFL Umpires participating in the Aboriginal Power Cup and Tandanya's very own Kel Rankine.

For a team to be eligible for the Award they

1. Display signs of Team Spirit - has and shows respect for fellow players (both opposition and team members), Umpires and off field staff and teachers 


2. Any note worthy action that goes beyond the norm 


3. Any team that has had a player sent off is NOT eligible to received the award

Kel Rankine and Tandanya's board member Peter Rigney, were proud to hand over the inaugural Tandanya Deadly Team Spirit Award to John Pirie Boys team. Accordingly to one Umpire the team wholeheartedly deserve the award, not just because they did not win one game on the day, but because on their final run out on the field they all sang "there's no mountain high enough" not only lifting their own spirits but everyone elses who were there! CONGRATLUATIONS John Pirie Boys team!

Tandanya would like to thank artist David Thorpe for his amazing painting and Elite Picture Framers for their framing donation.