Curtain-raiser matches don’t often pull names etched into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, but the Northern Territory footy season opener at TIO Stadium in Darwin last month was anything but your usual affair. 

In an exhibition match between North-West Mobile Force (NORFORCE) patrolmen, American marines and AFL masters, AFL legend Kevin Sheedy took the coaching reins for NORFORCE. 

But it was a NORFORCE player who stole the limelight. 

Patrolman Private Barkley Cooper snapped the opening goal from the pocket to set the pace for a NORFORCE win, and his efforts piqued the interest of Army AFL selectors. 

It’s believed Private Cooper is the first Indigenous Regional Force Surveillance Group patrolman to be selected for the Army team. 

He’ll travel south to take on Air Force and Navy at the national carnival in March 2026. 

Private Cooper said he was excited to play for Army, but it could not compare to meeting the Richmond Tigers legend and Essendon four-time premiership coach, Kevin Sheedy. 

The South Goulburn Island soldier said it was a dream come true. 

It’s been more than 20 years since the NORFORCE soldiers laced up their footy boots. 

'In my view, there is no better exemplar of Army in the community and Army for the nation than NORFORCE.'

In June, the team reformed for the Barunga Festival, one of the Northern Territory’s biggest Indigenous cultural and sporting events. 

NORFORCE Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Cooper said someone within AFL Northern Territory must have spoken to Kevin Sheedy about the NORFORCE team. 

“I got a phone call out of the blue, a voicemail message from Kevin Sheedy,” Lieutenant Colonel Cooper said. 

“He wanted to set up an exhibition match. I have definitely played [the voicemail message] a number of times and it is still saved in my phone.” 

Lieutenant Colonel Cooper said 'Sheeds' was no stranger to the Top End. 

Under Sheedy, the Bombers travelled north often in the 1980s and 1990s to showcase the club to the community.

“He [Sheedy] talked about the special contribution Indigenous Australians have made to the game,” Lieutenant Colonel Cooper said. 

“It was pretty special to have ‘Sheeds’ visit the regiment and coach the team.”

The NORFORCE commanding officer said Sheedy was renowned for promoting AFL among Indigenous Australians. 

NORFORCE patrolmen came from remote communities all over the Northern Territory, the Kimberley region of Western Australia and even the APY Lands in South Australia to take part in the game and follow-on training. 

“In my view, there is no better exemplar of Army in the community and Army for the nation than NORFORCE,” Lieutenant Colonel Cooper said.

“The objective for NORFORCE is increasing our readiness [and] creating fitter, stronger and healthier patrolmen because surveillance and reconnaissance to protect country up here is hard yakka.

“We don't just bring the boys in to play footy, we connect them with the medical system and use the opportunity for military training.” 

Lieutenant Colonel Cooper said the unit planned to field a women’s team to play at the Barunga Festival in 2026. 

“We want to continue using footy and the love of the national game to reinforce that culture of readiness and high performance,” he said.