Nearly two decades after his historic walk from Melbourne to Canberra, Michael Long is again set to embark on the 650km journey to federal parliament.
The AFL great will lend his support for a ‘yes’ vote in the upcoming Indigenous voice to parliament referendum by making the gruelling trek in coming months.
A longtime activist for Indigenous people, Long, 53, made headlines in 2004 when he led a protest march calling for a meeting with then prime minister John Howard.
The Essendon Hall of Fame player set out to put Indigenous matters back on the national agenda while attending another Aboriginal funeral, after growing tired of government inaction.
His frustrations also stemmed from Mr Howard’s refusal to apologise to the Stolen Generation, which both his parents were subject to.
After Long completed 325km of the planned 650km journey in about nine days, Mr Howard called for an end to the walk and agreed to meet.
Long continues his anti-racism advocacy and on Saturday, he will perform the late Archie Roach’s song, The Colour of Your Jumper, at the Dreamtime match between Essendon and Richmond at the MCG.
The song celebrates Nicky Winmar’s iconic stand against racism in 1993 and more than 80,000 fans are expected to attend Saturday’s match.
-AAP
