Mega gallery: former Raiders star returns to Canberra for Indigenous knockout

Run an eye over the team lists and you would have found former Indigenous All Stars captain Joel Thompson coming back to an old stomping ground in Canberra, chasing a knockout victory against local hopefuls from Boomanulla and Googong.

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Ex-Raider Joel Thompson played at the Queanbeyan Kanberri Connections knockout, featuring Googong and Boomanulla. Pictures by Keegan Carroll

The Boomanulla Raiders were on home turf. The Googong Goannas weren't far from their own patch. But it was the Mud Dogs, from western Sydney, who reigned supreme.

Ten senior sides and a band of juniors across three separate age groups had made the trip to Boomanulla Oval for the Queanbeyan Kanberri Connections rugby league knockout on Saturday.

The venue was fitting. Kanberri - the Ngunnawal word for Canberra - was originally a meeting place where different nations would gather.

"It's a good chance for Canberra, because it brings together the community that was here back in the early 70s when Aboriginal families first came to Canberra," Queanbeyan Kanberri Connections knockout committee member Aaron Davison said.

All the best photos from the Queanbeyan Kanberri Connections rugby league knockout at Boomanulla Oval on Saturday. Pictures by Keegan Carroll

"When people started to move here, it was sort of based around footy, there was a lot of rugby league teams that all the Aboriginal people participated in. You had the Bogong Warriors team and Boomanulla Raiders teams here.

"It goes back to that a bit where we're getting those community members that have those ties to rugby league and coming together just for this carnival, but also to come and watch, and meet up with family and friends.

"We do get the scatter of sort of ex-NRL players that come through. Kids know who they are, too, so they usually go up and get photos with them throughout the day.

"You would have seen, we got the 10s, 12s, and 14s. They're pretty stoked to be part of it. They run out in front of a crowd, in front of family and friends, so they get a buzz out of it.

"It's a chance for them to showcase their talent and be part of that knockout atmosphere."

Some who turned out in Canberra on Saturday will lace up the boots again at this year's Koori Knockout at Raymond Terrace.

More than 180 teams are set to flood Raymond Terrace next week in the hope of knocking off the Newcastle Yowies, who swept the men's and women's titles last year. A Queanbeyan Kanberri Connections side will be among them.

"Some of the players from this knockout are part of that team," Davison said.

"Most people use this as a bit of a stepping stone to the big knockout. They use these smaller ones to sort of get together, fine-tune their skills and teams, and then take it to the big knockout to take on the big guys."

And there will be plenty of star power waiting for them.

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