Footy legend Brad Fittler reveals ‘postcode discrimination’ fuelled his footy career after he was looked down on for coming from Sydney’s west
Brad Fittler made 31 appearances for New South Wales over the course of his State of Origin career.
And it was a jersey that he always pulled on with the utmost pride, doing whatever it took to earn a win for his side.
That pride wasn’t just about competing in the world’s greatest rivalry, it centred around the people who got him there, from his family all the way to his junior coaches.
The 54-year-old is also deeply proud of where he came from before his time as a professional rugby player.
And a large part of that came down to postcode discrimination, where Australians would be judged harshly just based on where they came from.
But as told in his own words, Fittler wouldn’t have wanted to be from anywhere else.
‘I will never forget being handed my first State of Origin jersey. Because it wasn’t about me; it was about who I was representing,’ he wrote.
Brad Fittler revealed ‘postcode discrimination’ fuelled his footy career
Fittler grew up in western Sydney and he credited his hometown with giving him the steel needed to succeed
‘It was about my mum, who drove me to training when I was five, and my junior coaches, who raced home from a long day’s work to teach us this game.
‘It was about my mates who I grew up with in western Sydney. They lifted me to this level, where I got to live a dream we would talk about in the back of a car.
‘As Jack Gibson handed me that first jersey, I thought back to everyone who had sacrificed for me, and how I would now sacrifice for them.
‘The sky-blue jersey means more than just a game of footy. Dyed deep in its fabric are the people and towns of our great state.
Fittler made 31 appearances for the Blues across his illustrious rugby career
‘From Broken Hill to Bronte, from the snowfields up to the Northern Rivers, this team that runs out on Wednesday is a reflection of who we are.
‘The players have the opportunity to carry the people of NSW with them when defending champions Queensland come to our home.
‘Every time I was lucky enough to pull on the sky blue, I could see the very people and places here in NSW that got me to that point.’
Fittler then went on to explain his love for New South Wales and why it means so much to him, adding that being judged for his postcode is what drove him his whole life.
‘They say west is best, and there’s no substitute for that when you have Nathan Cleary (Leonay), Mt Druitt’s Brian To’o and Stephen Crichton, Casey McLean (Quakers Hill), Guildford’s Haumole Olakau’atu plus James Tedesco (Menangle) and Mitchell Moses (Ryde) representing the blue-collar engine room of Sydney.
‘I know from personal experience being a “Westie” steels you with an attitude that the way to a better life is through hard work, resilience and sticking up for yourself and your mates.
‘It comes from being looked down upon purely for your postcode. I know exactly how this feels; it drove me my whole life.’
