The 21-year-old, who played in his third grand final for Claremont last weekend, has been putting his best foot forward off the footy field to train in a second field, namely mentoring Indigenous youth.
“I’m encouraging all young Aboriginal people to leave no stone unturned when following their dreams,” Gerrick said.
“I know first-hand that sacrifices like living away from home, training and hard work get you to where you want to be,” he said.
“A year and a half ago, I started leading a mentoring course through the David Wirrpanda Foundation.
“Now, every Tuesday morning, about 20 young people and adults meet for mentoring and then in the afternoon I take the group to play sports and do other creative activities.
“I get the chance to mentor a variety of young people because the groups change every two months.”
Gerrick moved to Perth five years ago from the Pilbara and was recruited by the West Coast Eagles in the 2010 national draft.
He inherited the number 44 guernsey, which was made famous at the AFL club by one of his heroes, David Wirrpanda.
Gerrick’s dedication to his dream career in professional football has meant that he has had to sacrifice being able return to the Pilbara and Kimberley often to visit his family.
“The sacrifices and struggles of living away from my homeland continue to pay off in many different ways,” Gerrick said.
“Mentoring has given me life skills and confidence in talking to other people and public speaking.”
Studying and mentoring with the Wirrpanda Foundation has been made possible through the financial support provided by Gumala Aboriginal Corporation, who has also provided funding support to Gerrick over the years to assist him with his professional football career.
Gumala Aboriginal Corporation chairman Stephen Peterson said Gerrick was one of many examples of Indigenous people working hard and giving back to the community.
Gumala Aboriginal Corporation chief executive officer Steve Mav said Gumala was very proud of Gerrick and everything that he has achieved.
“Gerrick is a role model to our Indigenous youth,” said Mr Mav.
“He is a great example of how Gumala’s funding programs help our youth fulfil their dreams and live up to their full potential.”
Gumala Aboriginal Corporation is one of Australia’s leading Indigenous organisations, providing a range of programs and projects to support the Traditional Owners from the Banyjima, Innawonga and Nyiyaparli groups based in the iron ore-rich Pilbara region.
For further information about Gumala Aboriginal Corporation, please visit www.gumala.com.au.
