Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti of the Bombers surprises the AFL by retiring at the age of 29 after enduring racist insults and family problems during his great career.
With his incredible talent and ability, the livewire forward was an AFL fan favorite.
He arrived in Melbourne from the Tiwi Islands at the age of 17 and spoke no English.
‘Tippa’ endured hardship at home as well as racial abuse from the spectators.
Ultimately, adversity, combined with injuries, ended his career early.
Few AFL players have had to work as hard or suffer as much adversity as Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, the Essendon forward who announced his retirement on Friday.
The Essendon livewire is only 29 years old and only made his AFL debut in 2016, yet his legacy will be remembered for a long time.
With the club’s season in shambles, fans thought ‘Tippa’ or ‘Walla’ would come to their aid after taking personal leave in 2021 and suffering a calf injury.
McDonald-Tipungwuti, along with Toby Greene, Tom Papley, and Isaac Heeney, was one of only four 2021 players to rank among the elite in terms of goals, assists, and score involvements.
In the end, family adversity, prejudice, injuries, and outside pressure all conspired to bring an end to one of the AFL’s greatest entertainers’ career.
‘The Bombers provided me the opportunity to fulfill my AFL dream,’ the 29-year-old said on Friday.
‘I have enjoyed my time at the club and am really pleased of what I have accomplished in my AFL career.
I am also proud of my education; I came to Victoria to further my education, which has been quite beneficial to me.
‘The club and my teammates have been tremendously supportive throughout my whole career but I am really glad to be moving on to the next chapter of my life today.
‘I’m prepared for life beyond football. I wish all of the boys the best of luck in their future endeavors, and I’ll be watching from afar.’
McDonald-Tipungwuti’s career began in 2016, when he was given an opportunity as the Bombers were rocked by season-long sanctions for players involved in the club’s drugs scandal.
Fans were blown away by his ability, and he became a cult favorite in the AFL.
However, the route to achievement was frequently riddled with stumbling blocks. Walla has battled family and cultural demons since arriving in Melbourne from the Tiwi Islands as a 17-year-old who spoke no English.
Tippa revealed in 2019 that he was under intense pressure from the Tiwi Islands, with his biological mother calling on a regular basis to persuade him to come “home.”
‘My biological mother and aunties. They only called while they were drinking at the pub. Because they were inebriated, that was the only time they would call.
‘They would get drunk and say things that really upset me and made me rethink everything about my life, who I was, where I had come from, and what I should be doing,’ he said at the time to the Herald Sun.
McDonald-Tipungwuti stated that the stress of his job drove him to suicidal ideation.
‘I was lost once more. It was difficult for both me and my mother. I didn’t want to bring all of this misery on her. I couldn’t do it to someone I cared about, so I decided to put an end to it all.
‘I believed that was the simplest way to get rid of everything.
‘They now assume I’m a white man. They all believe I’ve abandoned them.’
Then, after the Bombers’ 49-point final loss to the Western Bulldogs, McDonald-Tipungwuti became the victim of horrible racist slurs on the club’s Facebook page, despite the fact that he was on personal leave and did not play in that game.
‘As a society, we should never classify somebody based on their skin color, religion, race, culture, or ability,’ he wrote on Instagram.
‘In Australia, we are one people and a diverse community that should be uniting rather than tearing one other down.
‘Like many others, my family and I are separated by distance and Covid limitations, which has made this year quite tough for all. We all feel isolated, and our words should be used to bring us together in the face of suffering.’LINKED ARTICLE
The club recognized and chastised the person responsible for the post.
‘Vilification, whether racial or otherwise, has no place in our society. This must end immediately, and it begins with all of us calling out this heinous behavior,’ the club stated in a statement.
‘The Essendon Football Club stands in complete sympathy with McDonald-Tipungwuti and will continue to fight racism,’ the club said.
Tippa was adored by Bombers fans and many rival AFL followers alike, and he found strength and solace in his bond with his adopted mother Jane.
‘Tippa’ derived strength from his relationship with his adopted mother, Jane.
Jane stated that another young man came down with Tippa to attempt and make it in the AFL, a young man who was just as brilliant as McDonald-Tipungwuti but gave in to pressure from the Tiwi Islands and returned home.
‘The other, CK, who had almost as much aptitude as Anthony, went back and was a hunter, a fisherman, the true culture man. He committed suicide a year ago. It’s a serious problem, but no one talks about it enough,’ she says.
McDonald-Tipungwuti returned to the VFL in March, and Bombers coach Ben Rutten stated at the time that the club was hopeful he would return to the top level.
‘He’s had some off-field issues that he’s been dealing with, but he loves coming to the club, he loves his footy, and I know that everyone’s asking about him, which is a great sign because everyone does care about him and he’s a much-loved player for us, and we’re doing everything we can,’ he told AFL.com.au.
Tippa will be missed by everyone at the Bombers, according to football manager Josh Mahoney, who described him as a role model, a superb athlete, and a great friend.
‘For the past seven years, Anthony has been a truly fantastic guy to have at the club, and we are a stronger football club for having had him within our four walls,’ he said.
‘Anthony is a fantastic role model, and his contribution to this game has been enormous.
‘We’ve been working tremendously closely to support Anthony in dealing with his personal concerns for nearly a year, and while we will miss his brilliance on the field, we accept and support his choice knowing that his ultimate happiness is the highest priority to all.
‘This is the best decision Anthony can make as a person.
‘He will be missed by the club and his teammates, but we wish Anthony, his partner, and family the best in their next chapter of life.’
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