Walking around the Bare Island rock pools with wet pants from a pocket full of shells picked up by his children and given to dad to hold onto. Jesse Ramien is a happy man.
The Sharks centre made sure to bring his two youngest, Tallon and Teo, along to an Indigenous Round photoshoot this week.
It’s of the utmost importance to Ramien to teach the next generation about their culture.
“I wasn’t too culturally connected as a young fella myself,” Ramien shared.
“These Indigenous Rounds are a way for me to teach my boys stuff that I never got taught when I was growing up, so it’s super special.
“I want to make sure that I’m leaving it in a good place with my young fellas, so bringing them to stuff like this and teaching them little bits every time I can.”
His two-year-old son Tallon was a big hit at the event, showing off his ‘shake a leg’ dance to local elder Aunty Barb Simms, as his dad beamed with pride.
“I grew up in a tight-knit family; all my family and I are very close and even having a young family of my own now, it’s everything to me,” the 29-year-old expressed.
“Family are who I lean on in the good times and the bad. It’s the backbone of who I am, and what I do, and it’s the reason why I play this great game to provide for my family.”
The Coonamble product has never forgotten where he comes from.
Ramien spent Cronulla's last bye week travelling around the New South Wales bush giving back to kids in the community.
He knows how important it is to be a role model and to celebrate and honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.
“Indigenous Round is so special to me. It’s a time to reflect on all the accomplishments and everything our people have done and continue to do,” the proud Wiradjuri man said.
“Not only does it bring out the best in Indigenous boys, but the week is so rich in culture for everyone else too.
“For all the non-indigenous boys, they learn so much, and a fair few of the boys now get their boots painted up, and it just goes to show how much they buy into the round and how much it means to them.
“It’s not only the Indigenous boys; it’s the Cronulla Sharks as a whole.”
The 183-game NRL champion has a certificate in counselling and is passionate about helping young Indigenous kids in regional areas like where he grew up.
That’s why, along with his great mate Andrew Fifita, the pair have started Elite Sports Mentoring Officers – a mentoring and counselling service to help the youth overcome challenges and grow to their full potential.
