Push for “Polly” to earn federal recognition

LATE Geelong Cats champion Graham “Polly” Farmer should be honoured in the naming of Australia’s next federal seat, a government MP says.

Western Australia is set to get a 16th seat when the electoral commission completes a redistribution ahead of the next federal election.

Assistant minister Patrick Gorman, who hails from WA, has written to the commission recommending the seat be called Farmer.

The former Geelong captain, and first Indigenous VFL/AFL coach, was named in the AFL Team of the Century.

Farmer played 101 games for Geelong in between two distinguished stints at West Perth.

At the Cats he was a 1963 premiership player, won two club best-and-fairests, captained then coached the club, and was named ruck in its team of the century.

“He is one of the greatest footballers ever to play in the AFL,” Mr Gorman told reporters in Canberra on Thursday last week.

“We already have the Graham Farmer Freeway, which cuts through my electorate, but I don’t think a freeway is enough.

“In fact, I think we’re greatly under-recognising this incredible Australian, who through the Graham Farmer Foundation has helped thousands of young Aboriginal children in Western Australia fulfil their dreams.”

Farmer, who played in the WAFL and VFL between 1953 and 1971, was recognised with a state funeral in WA in 2019.

“As we continue the work that the electoral commission has done for a number of years in recognising Indigenous leaders in the names of our seats, it’s time that that happens in the west as well,” Mr Gorman said.

WA is gaining an extra seat for the next federal election, while Victoria and New South Wales will each have one less as the total number of seats decreases to 150.

– with AAP