Jurrah gains support in hour of need

Liam Jurrah arrives at the Port Adelaide Power training for a trial run last year. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: The Advertiser

THE man setting up a groundbreaking indigenous-run football factory will also shepherd troubled former Melbourne forward Liam Jurrah through his hour of need.

Former South Australian spinner Chris Harms will mentor Jurrah ahead of a court case scheduled during March in Alice Springs.

Harms will then promote an active rehabilitation period for the enigmatic football talent.

"I just want to help him with his legal process and just try and mentor him a little bit, encourage him to play footy," said Harms, with Jurrah facing an assault charge in association with an incident last March in the Northern Territory.

Jurrah's long-term mentor, Deakin University lecturer Dr Bruce Hearn MacKinnon, asked Harms to help the 24-year-old who is starting a new life in Adelaide.

Once Jurrah has dealt with his legal issues, Harms will attempt to get the mercurial leaper's football career back on track with SANFL club Port Magpies.

Jurrah, from Yuendumu, 300km northwest of Alice Springs, will also be offered a role in Harms's indigenous footy business that will seek to employ 200 Aboriginal people to produce half the footballs used in Australia within five years - 450,000.

"I think he enjoys Adelaide and I would be encouraging him to take up an offer to play with Port Magpies in the SANFL," said Harms, who figured in 14 Sheffield Shield games for SA from 1982-86 before a serious arm injury ended his career.

"Hopefully, he can have a role in this indigenous footy project," he said.

"He had a wonderful mentor in Bruce Hearn Mackinnon.

"We just need to encourage him a bit as he is a probably a bit down."

Harms has worked with indigenous groups in Central Australia while his wife Kirsti gave up a stellar opera career to head the legal aid service in Alice Springs.

"I am just one guy who knows the space a bit in central Australia," Harms told The Advertiser.

"Hopefully we have some good meetings."

The challenge of balancing family responsibilities with career and social obligations has proved tough for Jurrah, the first AFL player from a remote indigenous community to make the big time.

Port Power declined to draft Jurrah for the 2013 season after inviting the 36-game star to revive his AFL career through SANFL club Port Magpies.

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