Sydney Roosters Deadly Choices ambassadors Keilee Joseph and Alan Holten are proud to use their elite sporting profiles to help lead genuine change in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.
Following the announcement of the Club’s partnership with the Institute for Urban Indigenous Health’s (IUIH) national preventative health promotion initiative Deadly Choices, Joseph and Holten, along with Luke Keary and Lindsay Collins, say they are excited to deliver on Arthur Beetson’s vision of ensuring all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia have access to quality health care.
“It’s always been my dream to play NRL and I just want to inspire young people,” Holten, a proud Dharawal and Dhunguttii man, said.
“My mother and father told me coming up as a young kid to always be healthy, stay fit and make deadly choices.”
Joseph, who made her Indigenous All Stars debut early in 2023, says she feels great pride to be one of the Club’s Deadly Choices ambassadors.
“Even with me going to check-ups as a kid, I never got to have these ones or anything similar, so I’m really excited about it,” she said.
Keilee Joseph's Rise in Red, White and Blue
“Going into the All Stars camp, I really got to connect with my culture and get closer with my family which has made me realise how important this partnership is.”
Not only does Deadly Choices aim to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to make healthy choices for themselves and their families, they also encourage people to access their local Community Controlled Health Service and complete an annual health check.
With aligning views about the ongoing availability of quality health care for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia, the Sydney Roosters Deadly Choices jerseys will now be available as an incentive for any Indigenous person who undertakes a 715 health check at a participating community-controlled health clinic throughout Australia.
The vibrant Indigenous Round Jersey artwork, designed by Arthur Beetson’s niece Bianca, features unique Indigenous symbols that detail Beetson’s journey and impact on not only on the Red, White, and Blue, but on everyone he met.
While the Retro collared Jersey featured on the team’s Legends Round jersey in 2016, also paying tribute to the late and great Immortal Beetson, who was in his own words "a very proud Australian, a very proud Queenslander, but also a very proud Aboriginal."
The symbols on both jerseys are Totems of the Kabi Kabi people of the Sunshine Coast; which include the bunya pine & the native bee.
Senior Roosters duo Keary and Collins recognise Beetson’s contribution to the Club and his advocacy for Indigenous health care, explaining that the late Immortal was the driving force behind the partnership.
“He’s a big part of this club and a big part of the culture,” Collins said.
“It’s a great initiative, it’s awesome.”
“It’s good to have the partnership, it’s obviously a great initiative and Artie’s a big part of our club,” Keary said.
“It’s really cool and I feel pretty privileged to be a part of it.”
