'I got her a caravan': Returning to AFL, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti had to settle a bet with his mum

The Tiwi forward stepped back from the game last year but has returned to the delight of his followers.

Wearing the black and red jersey of the HAWKS BOMBERS, Anthony raises his arms in celebration, a broad smile revealing a mouth guard in the Aboriginal flag colours

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti of the Bombers celebrates after kicking a goal during the AFL Round 1 match between the Hawthorn Hawks and the Essendon Bombers at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Sunday, March 19, 2023. Source: AAP / SCOTT BARBOUR/AAPIMAGE

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti's mum has a new caravan and Essendon fans have their cult figure back.

The livewire forward was the exclamation mark for the Bombers' 59-point AFL win over Hawthorn on Sunday at the MCG.

He was subbed into the game during the last quarter and kicked a goal soon afterwards.

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McDonald-Tipungwuti was greeted with the loudest crowd roar of the game when he ran on and it went up again when he slotted his set shot.

It was his first AFL game in nearly 600 days, after McDonald-Tipungwuti briefly retired last year for personal reasons.

The fan favourite known as Walla revealed post-match that he had made a pact with his Mum when he decided to try a comeback.

"A big shout out to my Mum - she believed in me all the way," McDonald-Tipungwuti told the Seven Network post-match.

"I made a bet with her, 'If you're going to get me back, I will buy you a caravan'. Yeah, I got a caravan for my Mum."

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Wearing the black and red jersey of the HAWKS BOMBERS, Alwyn raises his fists and grins in celebration, as an out of focus crowd watches on

Alwyn Davey Jr. of the Bombers celebrates after kicking his first goal, playing against the Hawthorn Hawks over the weekend. Source: AAP / SCOTT BARBOUR/AAPIMAGE

Also on Sunday, father-son recruit Alwyn Davey made his debut and also kicked a goal.

McDonald-Tipungwuti said watching the development of fellow Indigenous players such as Davey at Essendon was a big reason he returned.

"For me to come back was mainly just to see them boys grow," he said.

"Seeing them train and enjoy their footy, it's a proud moment for me to play in his first game with him (Davey)."

But a lot had to happen before McDonald-Tipungwuti returned to Essendon and much work remains to be done.

When McDonald-Tipungwuti decided to try an AFL return, he also thought about going to Fremantle.

"It was credit to the club - it worked really hard on showing him the path forward, but also we didn't make any promises," said new coach Brad Scott.

"What, it's almost 600 days since he's played and the journey for him seemed at times it might be insurmountable.

"He has a long way to go, but he's worked extremely hard and he deserved his spot in the team today."

He added that for the time being, McDonald-Tipungwuti would be their emergency player as he regains match fitness.

"He knows better than anyone that to play 125 minutes of high-level, high-pressure AFL footy, which is the way he plays, he has a lot of work to do still," Scott said.