Joel Thompson flags further problems for the Indigenous

While it was a light-hearted comment it highlighted a serious problem for the Indigenous community and a cause Thompson has lent his voice to.

With a multitude of other problems facing his community - like racism and life expectancy - Thompson said not being able to use the Aboriginal flag shouldn't be one of them.

The 32-year-old said the Indigenous NRL players had been silent for too long, but the Free The Flag campaign was one of a number of Aboriginal issues they were starting to speak out on.

And they've shown this year what they can do when they do exactly that.

The Australian national anthem will no longer be played before the NRL All Stars game, which features the Indigenous All Stars team.

Many players, including Thompson, felt the wording of the anthem doesn't represent them and they'd rather one that united all Australians.

The RLPA have also thrown their support behind Clothing The Gap's Free The Flag campaign.

Basically, Harold Thomas, who designed the Aboriginal flag in 1971, has sold the rights to the flag to several non-Indigenous companies, which has restricted its use.

It means it's the only national flag with exclusive licensing and copyright restrictions.

"It's a national flag. The licensing and the copyright restrictions really stops us from using it for different stuff," Thompson said.

"It's something that represents our people. It's something that we're quite proud of.

"That flag represents us so much. It's not just the flag, it means so much more.

"It's something that unites us. It's a belonging. It's something that we represent.

"Knowing that there's restriction around using it - it's not OK. It shouldn't be about profit. It shouldn't be about money. It's something that should mean more than that."

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And if you want to know what the Aboriginal flag means to the Indigenous community, cast your mind back to the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

Remember Cathy Freeman sprinting to victory in the women's 400 metres? Well you should.

The footage of her running around Sydney Olympic Stadium with the Aboriginal and Australian flags draped around her neck in the aftermath was one of the iconic moments in Aussie sport.

"It just shows you what it meant to someone like Cathy Freeman or any sportsman that wanted to have that flag, and how much it represents them," Thompson said.

"I've got it tattooed on the back of my neck. Do I have to pay for that?

"It does seem silly. It seems like it's something that's a roadblock. We've got enough issues for our people to be fighting.

"If it's around health, education, discrimination - there's so many little battles that we have to fight as people that this is one we shouldn't be."

Thompson captained the Indigenous All Stars this year before the coronavirus pandemic struck and shut down the NRL.

He was at the front of the players' push to get the national anthem canned from the pre-game proceedings.

It's shown the growth of the Indigenous players, who have emerged as leaders of their community with the ability to speak out on issues that affect their people.

"I think we've been silent for too long - get out there, play the game, but don't speak up about things that means something to you," Thompson said.

"That needs to stop. We're moving past that. We want to be a progressive world, progressive Australia, well why keep silent on things that mean something to us?

"If we have an anthem that doesn't really represent us. At the time we were treated like animals, how do you expect us to stand up with our chest out and go, 'Hey, we're proud to sing it'.

"We want something that unites us all."