Like My Brother Co-Directors Sal Balharrie and Danielle MacLean on Tiwi Football in the AFLW

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The AFLW was established in 2016, expanding from an initial eight teams to eighteen in 2022. In the years since it launched, the league has grown to showcase the different styles of football that each corner of Australia has to offer. In Sal Balharrie and Danielle MacLean’s essential documentary Like My Brother, we follow four AFLW hopefuls from the Tiwi Islands, Rina, Freda, Juliana and Jess, as they follow their dream to become league players.

But, dreams aren’t always meant to happen overnight, with the film following their journey away from their home in Tiwi to Victoria where they have to train and try out for consideration with the major teams. On this journey, we see the difficulties that the AFLW hopefuls face, especially those from communities like the Tiwi Islands where the same kind of opportunities that come easily for male players are simply not afforded to the women players.

In the following interview with Sal and Danielle, the co-directors talk about their journey of bringing this story to life, what kind of change they want to see in the AFLW, and the importance of hearing stories that have rarely been told on screen.

Like My Brother launches in Australian cinemas nationwide from today, 17 October 2024. It’s a must see Aussie doco that you can take your whole footy loving family to.

Andrew F Peirce

Andrew is passionate about Australian film and culture. He is the co-chair of the Australian Film Critics Association, a Golden Globes voter, and the author of two books on Australian film, The Australian Film Yearbook - 2021 Edition, and Lonely Spirits and the King. You can find him online trying to enlist people into the cult of Mac and Me.

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