It’s the last week of October and just a few weeks out from the 2026 pre-season.
Isaac Kako and Jayden Nguyen, alongside VFLW player Tayla Hart-Aluni and three Essendon staff members are en route to the Tiwi Islands for a trip focused on cultural connection, community engagement and education.
Accessible by air or ferry, the Islands sit 80 kilometres north of Darwin. To put this into perspective, it’s geographically closer to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines than to the MCG.
Looking out the window of the ten-seater aeroplane, the turquoise water of the Arafura Sea provides a vivid contrast to the red earth.
The anxiety of the turbulence evaporates as we spot the Stanley Tipiloura Oval, home to the Tiwi Bombers through the clouds. As excitement builds, we are barely in the air 25 minutes before descending over the coastline and mangroves of the island.
Our first stop is the Patakijiyali Museum in Wurrumiyanga, where players receive an introduction to Tiwi history, language, culture and spirituality. Ranging from Dreamtime stories to the Tiwi role in World War II, they take it all in.
But it’s the Australian Rules Football Hall of Fame display, with images of Michael Long and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti that changed the energy. The Essendon–Tiwi connection becomes tangible, and the museum sets a powerful tone for the trip.
The power of football...
Culture, education and sport are central to life on the Tiwi Islands and often, are deeply intertwined. Sport is a powerful vehicle for connection, pride and opportunity, so much so that Australian Rules Football is jokingly referred to as the “religion of the island."
Everywhere we go, football is at the heart of the community and none more so than at the schools we visit.
At Murrupurtiyanuwu Catholic Primary School, the first school on our itinerary, many of the teachers, both male and female play for the Tiwi Bombers.
Next, we visited Xavier Catholic College. We learned that the school principal Rhett Bowden’s father, Michael Bowden, was a part of Richmond’s 1969 premiership, while his brothers Joel and Patrick also played for the Tigers. Patrick is now head coach of the Tiwi Bombers men’s side.
At the third school we visited, Tiwi College, Sue Long is a teacher. The older sister of Essendon legend Michael and the mother of Adelaide AFLW player Danielle Ponter.
At the schools, we do various activities with the students, ranging from a pastoral care session focusing on leadership to a question-and-answer interview at assembly. Lead by the energy of the students, it’s not surprising that most activities somehow creatively gravitate back to football. At the primary school it comes in the form of a hybrid game of football tennis, while at Tiwi College a trip down to the creek turns in to making and throwing footballs out of clay.
When school finishes each day, children flock to the football oval, and many don’t leave until the sun goes down.
“It's been amazing to come here and just see how much love the kids have for the game,” grins Kako.
“Just getting out there and being able to kick a football, no matter how worn out the ball is, whether it's with shoes or without shoes, whether there’s goals or not, it's surreal.
“That's the special thing about football. No matter where you're from or whatever your background is, the game of football brings everyone together.”
Best mates...
At 13 years of age, it was football that brought Kako and Nguyen together. They’re now best mates. They grew up playing with and against each other and share a long history on the football field.
The pair came through Essendon’s Next Generation Academy (NGA) program while also facing off as rivals in the Essendon District Football League, Kako representing Pascoe Vale and Nguyen lining up for Aberfeldie.
They both went on to play for the Calder Cannons, represent Vic Metro in the under-18 National Championships and ultimately, join Essendon through the 2024 national draft.
Though no longer opponents per se, the competitive spark remains. Whether it’s an early morning gym session at the local school or laps around the oval at night, what one does, the other follows, pushing each other to be their best.
At a training session with the Tiwi Bombers, Kako takes Nguyen out with a hard but fair bump during a marking contest. Both get up laughing and hustle straight back into the next play.
Beneath the bravado, their friendship runs deep. During school visits, when students ask who their favourite teammate is, both answer without hesitation - each other.
There are moments throughout the trip when they’re clearly out of their comfort zones, but side by side, they embrace it with enthusiasm.
At 19 years of age, both show a maturity beyond their years, inquisitive, humble and generous with their time. They understand the impact they can have as role models.
Both children of refugee parents, Nguyen made history last year as the first player of Vietnamese descent to debut in the AFL. Kako is of Iraqi heritage, with his parents migrating from Iraq to Australia in 1999. Both players speak proudly of their cultural heritage during school visits and question-and-answer sessions.
Nguyen tells me he grew up idolising Western Bulldogs player Lin Jong, widely recognised as the AFL’s first player of Asian heritage, and as a teenager, he’d message Jong on Instagram asking for advice.
A day later, in a twist that feels almost poetic, Nguyen shows me an Instagram message he’d just received, from a young Vietnamese boy asking him for advice.
The next generation:
Across the trip, these full-circle moments stand out. Moments where lessons, encouragement and visibility ripple forward to inspire the next generation. Hart-Aluni’s journey echoes this theme of mentorship and opportunity.
In 2022, then Essendon VFLW player Courtney Ugle visited the Tiwi Islands as part of the First Nations Women’s Pathway program, which also involved talent scouting.
During a stop in Darwin, she watched her aunty play for the Darwin Buffettes and noticed small forward and attacking winger Hart-Aluni lighting up the game. At the final siren, Ugle approached her and invited her to train with Essendon.
By 2025, Hart-Aluni is not only on Essendon’s VFLW list, but she is also following Ugle’s legacy by delivering education sessions and football clinics on this Tiwi trip.
Her story is one of resilience and hard work. In November of 2024, she suffered a serious leg injury during a Northern Territory Women’s Premier League match. Two bones below her knee snapped.
It has been a long road to recovery but one she has embraced fully. During school visits and Q&A sessions, she inspires students with her comeback journey, sharing stories of growing up in Darwin, of her Aboriginal (Arrernte) and Māori Samoan heritage, and of switching from netball to football.
Young girls flock to her on the field and in the playground. Her influence is not only one of representation and visibility but also of determination, courage and hard work.
“I hope I've inspired some girls to chase their dreams,” she says.
“For them to see, whatever I can do, they can do too.”
Gratitude...
The lessons the players carry home aren’t just about fitness, skills or acclimatisation, but rather gratitude, purpose and the responsibility that comes with the Essendon jumper. The trip reminds them that football is a privilege and their influence matters.
“For me, the highlight has been seeing the smiles on everyone's faces as soon as they pick up a footy,” Nguyen said.
“Obviously, I can relate to it myself as well, being so excited playing footy with my best friends.”
Kako agrees. “The thing I’ll take most out of this trip is being grateful for getting to play football as a job. These kids do it every day for fun and that's exactly what I did when I was a kid.”
He pauses, before saying with a big grin, “they've just really boosted my love for the game even more.”
