Light, Richard L.Evans, John R.Bradbury SLusted JVan Sterkenburg J2020-09-072020-09-072020Light R,Evans J (2020). A Freirean perspective on Indigenous players’ journeys to the NRL and AFL: From freedom to oppression?. In Bradbury S, Lusted J, Van Sterkenburg J (Ed.), Race, ethnicity and racism in sport coaching.: 112-127. London and New York: Routledge.9780367854287https://hdl.handle.net/10092/101008A Freirean perspective on Indigenous players’ journeys to the NRL and AFL: From freedom to oppression? Richard L Light & John R Evans This chapter draws on findings from a study that inquired into the journeys of Indigenous Australian athletes from their first touch of the ‘footy’ to reaching he highest levels of their sport as a process of culturally situated learning. It identified two major stages of development in their development which were (1) the development of the foundations of expertise and a distinctly Aboriginal style of play up to the age of twelve to thirteen years of age and, (2) meeting the challenges of cultural transitioning toward and into professional sport with Aboriginal culture playing a central role in both stages. Drawing on the work of Paulo Freire we contrast the dialogic pedagogy of learning to play up to around the age of twelve, characterized by playing informal, self-regulated games free of adult interference with the highly regulated, monitored and individualized anti-dialogic approach of professional Australian football and rugby league that the participants had to adapt to. We identify the dialogic Aboriginal approach to learning that empowers learners and provides them with dialogic bonds to connect them with their world to contrast it with the anti-dialogic pedagogy of professional sport that dehumanizes and objectifies learners and learning.enAll rights reserved unless otherwise statedChapters2020-06-24Fields of Research::45 - Indigenous studies::4502 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educationFields of Research::39 - Education::3901 - Curriculum and pedagogy::390111 - Physical education and development curriculum and pedagogyFields of Research::39 - Education::3902 - Education policy, sociology and philosophy::390299 - Education policy, sociology and philosophy not elsewhere classifiedhttp://doi.org/10.4324/9780367854287