Michael Long
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Michael Long was an Australian Rules footballer and outspoken critic of racism in sport. He was born October 1 1969 in St. Marys, Northern Territory. He won the Norm Smith Medal in 1993 for his on-field performance in the AFL Grand Final and was a member of the 1993 and 2000 premiership winning sides for the Essendon Football Club. In total, he played 190 games before retiring at the end of the 2001 season. His career was continuously interrupted by injuries, most notably injuries to his knees. Long was voted as the 23rd greatest Essendon footballer of all time in the "Champions of Essendon" list.
Michael Long is an Aboriginal Australian and was the frequent target for verbal abuse during his early career. He became one of the first AFL players to speak out against racism, leading to the league introducing laws and penalties for players and fans who use racial slurs.
Since his retirement Michael Long has been a prominent popular voice in Aboriginal affairs. From 22 November to 2 December 2004, he and many of his supporters took a long walk from Melbourne to Canberra, often covering 50–80 kilometres. He did this because his father was part of the Stolen Generation and because of the continuing deaths in custody and otherwise among Aboriginal people of his generation and younger. Long wanted to send a message to John Howard, Australian Prime Minister.