The Clontarf Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that assists in the education and employment of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men.

Overview edit

With support from the corporate/philanthropic sector, state/Territory governments and the Federal Government, academies now operate in 141 schools in Western Australia, the Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

The founder and Chief Executive Officer is Gerard Neesham, former coach of Fremantle Football Club. Staff include former teachers, youth workers, professional football players and people from a range of industries.

The original Clontarf Football Academy was established in 2000 at the Clontarf Aboriginal College site in Waterford, Western Australia. Since then, Clontarf academies have expanded to the Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

Locations edit

Academies now operate in the following locations:

Western Australia –

Northern Territory -


Victoria -


Queensland -

  • Barambah
  • Bentley Park (Cairns)
  • Cairns
  • Dalby
  • Goondiwindi
  • Gordonvale (Cairns)
  • Gold Coast (PBC)
  • Harristown (Toowoomba)
  • Heatley (Townsville)
  • Kingaroy
  • Kirwan (Townsville)
  • Thuringowa (Townsville)
  • Toowoomba
  • Townsville
  • Trinity Bay (Cairns)
  • Warwick
  • Woree (Cairns)
  • Wilsonton (Toowoomba)
  • Yarrabah (Cairns)


New South Wales -

  • Airds (Campbelltown)
  • Bidwill (Mount Druitt)
  • Bourke
  • Brewarrina
  • Broken Hill
  • Chatham (Taree)
  • Conobolas (Orange)
  • Chifley Senior (Mount Druitt)
  • Coonamble
  • Cranebrook (Penrith)
  • Delroy (Dubbo)
  • Dubbo Senior (Dubbo)
  • Dubbo South (Dubbo)
  • Dunheved (Mount Druitt)
  • Elizabeth Macarthur (Campbelltown)
  • Endeavour (Caringbah)
  • Griffith
  • Hunter River (Newcastle)
  • Inverell
  • Irrawang (Newcastle)
  • Kanahooka (Wollongong)
  • Karabar (Queanbeyan)
  • Kempsey
  • Lake Illawarra (Wollongong)
  • Matraville (Sydney)
  • Melville (Kempsey)
  • Moree
  • Moruya
  • Mount Austin (Wagga Wagga)
  • Mount Druitt
  • Narrabri
  • Narrandera
  • Narromine
  • Newcastle
  • Orara (Coffs Harbour)
  • Oxley (Tamworth)
  • Port Macquarie
  • Quirindi
  • Shalvey (Mount Druitt)
  • Shoalhaven (Nowra)
  • Singleton
  • Tumut
  • Vincentia
  • Wade (Griffith)
  • Wellington


South Australia -

  • Ocean View (Adelaide)
  • Paralowie (Adelaide)
  • Port Augusta
  • Port Lincoln
  • Salisbury (Adelaide)
  • Whyalla

Sporting stars edit

Some of the Clontarf students who have gone on to play football at a professional level include Mark Williams, Dion Woods, Andrew Krakouer, Michael Johnson, Lewis Jetta, Chris Yarran, Patrick Ryder, Joel Hamling and Sam Petrovski-Seton.

References edit

External links edit