New East Coast Tribal League uniting Indigenous nations, communities on NSW Mid North Coast

The inaugural East Coast Tribal League (ECTL) is helping footy-starved fans and players on the NSW Mid North Coast by giving First Nations athletes a chance to represent their region.

The new competition comes after the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the annual Koori Knockout, an October long-weekend festival of footy at which friends and family could reconnect through culture, community and country.

Former Balmain Tigers star Paul Davis, a local sporting hero responsible for fostering players such as former South Sydney Rabbitohs fullback Greg Inglis, is behind the ECTL, a 12-week competition that started in January.

The Dunghutti and Gumbaynggirr man said the idea for the ECTL came from a desire to return Aboriginal identity to country football.

«We wanted to get that cultural belonging back to teams, we thought it was the right time to get rugby league going again,» Mr Davis said.

There are six men's and four women's teams in the competition's first iteration, representing the Gumbaynggirr, Dunghutti and Birpai nations.

Rounds five and six were played last weekend at Coronation Park in Nambucca Heads.

Each team was also allowed to field eight non-Indigenous players.

«We wanted to be inclusive with non-Indigenous people so they can learn about our culture,» Mr Davis said.

Games are held carnival-style, from Taree on Birpai land to Nambucca Heads in Gumbaynggirr territory.

Mr Davis said with the Koori Knockout cancelled the last two years, communities had been missing important cultural gatherings. 

«The Koori Knockout — that's our modern day corroboree. [The ECTL] is our east coast corroboree,» he said.

«Modern day warfare — tribe versus tribe, mate versus mate, communities versus communities.»

Current and past stars of the game are