Ahead of Essendon and Collingwood’s Anzac Day clash, a near 100,00 strong MCG crowd gave Uncle Colin Hunter Jr a hero’s welcome before cheering and clapping throughout his several minute speech.
After it was announced he would give the Welcome to Country, the crowd burst into rapturous applause. And from there on the cheers only intensified.
“I would like to start by saying that this afternoon we are gathering on the lands of my ancestors, the Wurundjeri people,” he began.
After paying his respects to the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people, he then made a special acknowledgement to those who have served Australia, which was met by more cheers.
“Today I want to make a special acknowledgement,” he continued.
“I want to acknowledge the men and women who have served this country and I want to pay my deepest respects to them.”
The crowd then continued to clap and cheer as he paid his respects to everyone past and present, in what was heralded as one of the most moving Welcome to Country’s.
You can watch Uncle Colin Hunter Jr’s Welcome to Country in the player above.
The beautiful moment of respect was also praised online by those watching at home.
“95000 people showed respect to the Welcome to Country from Uncle Colin. And showed the same respect to the Ode to the fallen. This is how we should all be, showing respect to each other,” one fan wrote on X.
“Big cheer for Uncle Colin before his Welcome to Country at the MCG,” another added.
“That was perfect by Uncle Colin,” a third commented.
While a fourth simply said, “That genuinely moved me. One of the best I have heard. Mutual respect and what Australia is all about”.
The respectful pre-match scenes at the AFL were in stark contrast to some scenes at Dawn Services around the country on Saturday morning.
Indigenous serviceman Uncle Ray Minniecon, whose grandfather served in the Light Horse Brigade, was booed during the Martin Place service.
Later at Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance, Uncle Mark Brown’s Welcome to Country address was also interrupted by loud heckling and boos from the crowd.
In Perth, the RSL WA chief executive had to apologise to Whadjuk Noongar elder Di Ryder, a female veteran, whose Welcome to Country address was disturbed by some booing from the crowd at the Dawn Service.
