Even before he joined Essendon as a category B rookie last week, Anthony Munkara was taken under the wing of fellow Tiwi Islander Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti.
Like his idol McDonald-Tipungwuti, Munkara had limited exposure to top-level junior football during his early years.
Anthony Munkara. Credit:Essendon Football Club
“I didn’t even have [a] footy because I was staying at bush,” Munkara said.
“So I used to get a bottle and kick it around, and I just got back to the community and would watch YouTube [videos]of Cyril [Rioli] and a couple of AFL players.”
Munkara relocated to Adelaide after a short stint in the Northern Territory Football League to play for West Adelaide, where he kicked six goals in his two games, including four on debut.
This got the attention of AFL Academy selectors, who offered him a spot to train with Essendon earlier this year as part of the club’s Next Generation Academy program.
There, he was shown around by skipper Dyson Heppell and lived with McDonald-Tipungwuti, who he said has been “a good role model”.
“He’s been a mentor to me,” Munkara said, noting how he would text him regularly throughout his season.
“He plays like [a] small forward in the pocket and is really smart because when the ball comes down, then you know what he can do, just kick goals.
“I love watching him, and now it’s my turn to show up.”
Munkara shares McDonald-Tipungwuti’s love of kicking goals, but said his style of football is more like that of the Brisbane Lions’ exciting forward, Charlie Cameron.
Munkara, who is 187 centimetres tall, described his move to Melbourne and onto the Bombers’ rookie list as a “dream come true”.
“Since I was a kid, I was dreaming about AFL footy. I wanted to be like “Tippa” and Eddie Betts and all the players, so [it’s a] dream come true, and I’m here now,” he said.
He officially joined the club as a category B rookie selection under the NGA rules, as players can be automatically listed if not selected in the national draft.
He joins fellow Indigenous recruits, Alwyn Davey Jnr and Jayden Davey, the twin sons of ex-Bomber speedster Alwyn Davey Snr, and newcomers Elijah Tsatas, Lewis Hayes and Rhett Montgomerie.
Anthony Munkara plays for the Allies in the under-18 championships.Credit:Getty Images
“My name didn’t get called [on draft night] and then I turned the TV off,” said Munkara.
“Then after that, I got a call from the Bombers [from Adrian Dodoro]. They called me and said, ‘Welcome to Bombers’. I got emotional and excited at the same time.”
Munkara admitted it would be hard being away from his home and family, but said he had a good support network and was excited to prove himself.
“But, you know, you wanted to follow a dream so stick it out, keep doing it,” he said.
