TheIndigenous All-Stars (formerly known as theAboriginal All-Stars) is anAustralian rules footballrepresentative team composed of players that identify asIndigenous Australian or with an indigenous culture.

The team has played sporadically in select years, usually against other representative teams or clubs from theAustralian Football League (AFL) in the post or pre-season period. The team has also representedAustralia on one occasion (in2013) in theInternational Rules Series.^[1] Junior under-18 and under-16 teams, known as theFlying Boomerangs, have also been part of the All-Stars programme.

Matches featuring the Indigenous All-Stars have been played throughout the country, though originally when the team began playing biannual fixtures the team was based primarily inDarwin. The AFL promotes the concept as recognition of the indigenous Australians' contribution to the national competition, with approximately one in ten AFL players identifying as an Indigenous Australian.^[2]

The best on ground for the Indigenous All-Stars is awarded thePolly Farmer Medal which is in honour ofGraham Farmer.

All-indigenous sides have been documented as early the turn of the 20th Century,^[3] and the first representative teams began playing matches after World War II.^[4]

Following his career in the VFA,Doug Nicholls was instrumental in the concept of an All-Aboriginal representative side. He organised (assembling players mainly fromTaree in New South Wales), captained and coached an All-Aboriginal side against the VFA'sNorthcote Football Club in 1944.^[5] Among the aboriginal players was James Murray, Australian Kangaroos rugby league representative. The match drew more than 10,000 spectators.^[6]

Nicholls team's matches against theNorthcote Football Club became an annual event becoming a regular fixture in 1945 and 1946.^[7][8] The match led to a number of similar contests springing up around the country. It played a charity match against VFA clubOakleigh Football Club attracting 2,000 spectators.^[9]

One of the first major representative matches was a side's defeat the Australian Capital Territory, one of the strongest sides in the country, atManuka Oval in Canberra in 1970.^[10]

In 1973, a team was assembled from the best indigenous Australians across all states and territories to tour Papua New Guinea and play against thePapua New Guinea team. It was originally also scheduled to play againstNauru's national team.Sir Douglas Nicholls accompanied the side. The Australian side lost narrowly and a return match in Australia was scheduled for an Aboriginal Australian Rules carnival to be hosted by theAustralian Capital Territory^[11] Papua New Guinea narrowly defeated the Indigenous Australian side at Ainslie Oval.^[12][13]

In 1983, the "All-Stars" competed in a once-off post-season exhibition match inMildura; two games were played in 1985, while another one-off game was played in 1994.

A match between the All-Stars andThe Swans was proposed for Canberra in 1984, to be organised by theNational Football League,^[14] but did not go ahead.

In 1993, a bi-annual All-Stars vs Collingwood match was proposed.^[15]

In 1994, disputes over player releases put the concept into doubt. TheSt Kilda Football Club refused to releaseNicky Winmar, while theWest Coast Eagles refused to releaseChris Lewis to play.^[16]

As of 2015, the All-Stars have won six of the ten matches it has played. The record attendance for the match was 17,500, in the 2003 match againstCarlton atMarrara Oval.

There was a ten year gap to the next Indigenous All-Stars match. Postponing the proposed 2017 match, theAFL Players' Association's Indigenous members, which managed the team, decided that the match should be scheduled for every four years instead of two.^[17]

No full Indigenous All-Stars match was played in 2019. The2019 AFLX tournament in the 2019 pre-season featured an all-IndigenousAFLX 8-player team named "Deadly", captained byEddie Betts. This team won one of its three matches. However, the experimental AFLX format was not popular and has not been repeated since.^[18][19]

At a summit in 2022, a 2023 match was proposed between the Indigenous All-Stars and a newly formed Multicultural All-Stars team to draw from players of a variety of diverse cultures, though this never occurred.^[20]

The AFL scheduled an Indigenous All-Stars match for a pre-season fixture againstFremantle atOptus Stadium in February 2025.^[21] The match was heavily promoted by the league and most of the league's best Indigenous players were named in the side. The Indigenous All-Stars defeated Fremantle by 43 points with a crowd of nearly 38,000 in attendance.^[22] The success of the event led to the AFL CEO,Andrew Dillon, stating the league would look to more regularly schedule All-Stars contests, possibly within aState of Origin context.^[23]

Until 2005, the All-Stars were sponsored by theAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission, who had naming rights over the team. After the abolition of ATSIC, the team was renamed from Aboriginal All-Stars to Indigenous All-Stars. Since 2006, the team has been sponsored byQantas through the AFL Kickstart indigenous program.

Roger Rigney (SA); Michael Mansell (Tas); Anthony Miller (WA); Brian Warrior (SA); Dennis Lewfat (NT); Patrick Purantatameri (NT); Reg Mathews (QLD); Bill Ellis (NT); John McHenry (WA); Leon Wanganeen (SA); Alec Smith (Vic); John Pepperill (NT); Phillip Archer (SA); Ian Charles (VIC);Robbie Muir (VIC); Ken Liddle (NT); Wilfred Wilson (SA); Tim Agius (SA); Garry Murray (VIC); Paul Hansen (WA); Lloyd Bray (NT)^[40]

In 2013, the Indigenous All-Stars team competed under theAustralia banner against Ireland in theInternational Rules Series, ahybrid sport which consists elements ofGaelic football andAustralian rules football. For the2013 Series a 33-man squad was chosen, which was reduced to 21-man touring party.

The Indigenous team lost the series 2–0 and by an aggregate score of 173–72, a record-high margin for the International Rules series.

The Polly Farmer Medal is awarded each game to the best Indigenous All-Stars player.

• Flying Boomerangs
• Rugby league Indigenous All-Stars

• Indigenous All-Stars (Australian rules football)
• Indigenous Australian sport
• Organisations serving Indigenous Australians
• Indigenous Australian players of Australian rules football

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