For Ashley Couzens, the Boxing Day Test isn’t just about cricket—it’s a powerful connection to his ancestors, the trailblazing Aboriginal cricketers of Australia’s First XI. But here’s where it gets emotional: this isn’t merely a sports story; it’s a tale of resilience, cultural pride, and a legacy that has fought for recognition for far too long. Warning: This story includes the names and images of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals.
Today, Ashley steps onto the hallowed Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), the same ground where his ancestors played as part of the 1868 First XI Aboriginal cricket team—the first recorded sporting team to represent Australia internationally. It’s a moment steeped in history, and Ashley will honor it by presenting the Johnny Mullagh Medal, named after the celebrated First Nations cricketer and captain of the First XI.
Johnny Mullagh, a Jardwadjali man, played alongside James and Johnny Couzens, Gunditjmara Keerray Woorroong men from southwest Victoria. Their traditional names—Yellenach John Couzens and Grongerong James Mosquito Couzens—were changed without their consent to make them more palatable to the English. Mullagh’s own name, Unarrimin, suffered the same fate. And this is the part most people miss: these men weren’t just cricketers; they were pioneers who defied the odds in a colonial era that sought to erase their identity.
While the First XI holds a significant place in cricket history, Ashley, a proud Erawirung man now living in regional Victoria, laments that their story remains largely unrecognized. ‘As Australians, we love an underdog story,’ he says, ‘and this is one of our original, true underdog tales.’ Yet, despite growing awareness in recent years, Ashley believes their journey—traveling by horse and cart, playing across Australia, and eventually touring England—hasn’t been fully appreciated.
‘They were smuggled on a boat for three months to England,’ Ashley explains. ‘But what’s often forgotten is that upon their return, Couzens and Mullagh continued to play for Victoria and the MCC (Melbourne Cricket Club). Then the Aborigines Protection Act forced them back to missions, and we all know the devastating consequences of that.’
The renaming of the Boxing Day medal to the Johnny Mullagh Medal in 2020 was a step toward honoring the First XI, but Ashley argues it’s not enough. ‘The MCC and Cricket Australia need to recognize the entire team, not just Mullagh,’ he says. ‘The cricket is irrelevant—they were the first Australian international touring team, regardless of color. They were a band of brothers, and they all deserve a place in the Australian Sports Hall of Fame.’
Ashley’s moment at the MCG is personal, but it’s also a call to action. He was moved to tears in 2021 when Scott Boland, a Gulidjan man, took six wickets on debut and was awarded the Mullagh Medal. ‘I stopped the car and shed a tear,’ Ashley recalls. ‘I know Scotty, and that moment meant everything.’
Boland, alongside Brendan Doggett—the first pair of First Nations teammates in Test history—represents progress, but Ashley stresses there’s more to do. ‘We need to develop the game in rural and regional areas,’ he says. ‘AFL and other sports are seeing dwindling numbers of Aboriginal youth, and cricket must step up.’
While Cricket Australia’s Reconciliation Action Plan acknowledges the First XI, Ashley questions whether it goes far enough. ‘They say Brendan Doggett is the third Aboriginal player to represent Australia in Test cricket,’ he notes. ‘But that ignores the unofficial matches before 1868. These men deserve more than footnotes in history.’
Here’s the controversial part: Is cricket doing enough to honor its Indigenous pioneers? Ashley thinks not. ‘They weren’t just cricketers,’ he insists. ‘They were ambassadors of a culture that survived against all odds.’
As Ashley steps onto the MCG, he carries more than a medal—he carries a legacy. But the question remains: Will Australia fully recognize the First XI’s place in history? Let’s discuss—what do you think? Should the entire 1868 team be inducted into the Hall of Fame? Share your thoughts below.
