Michael Peachey has every right to be proud of his nephew, Cronulla rugby league star David Peachey, who has been named NAIDOC's sportsperson of the year.
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The former Dubbo schoolboy beat a host of indigenous heroes - including boxer Anthony Mundine, sprinter Patrick Johnson, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Cathy Freeman, AFL's Brownlow Medal favourites Gavin Wanganeen and Adam Goodes and Wallaby Wendell Sailor - to claim the coveted honour.
The award recognised the sporting achievements and community contributions of Australia's leading indigenous athletes for the period between July 2002 and June this year.
The award was announced at the National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee's annual ball and awards ceremony at Hobart City Hall on Friday night.
Uncle Michael, who lives in Wellington and has followed every step of David's career, said the award had been under wraps by the family since earlier in the week but admitted David had to be told what it was all about so he would get down for the dinner.
"The award is most deserved and all the Peachey family is very proud of him and what he has and wants to achieve," Michael said.
"He is dedicated to his work outside football and that was really the reason he gave up the Cronulla captaincy this year. His club commitments were taking up too much of his free time and he wasn't able to get around and do what he wanted to at the schools.
"The David Peachey Foundation is starting to take off with the backing of the Macquarie Bank, John Singleton and others and he wants to spend more time with the direction it is taking.
"This foundation is all about getting country kids identified, then take them to Sydney and help them realise their dream.
"Initially David will be looking at three kids involved in rugby league but he wants to expand that to 10 and involve other sports. He already has people identifying talents in the country and we look forward to that dream coming true."
While all this foundation work takes time and effort, David still finds time to juggle his family - wife Janine and daughter Ashley, 11, and son Wyndham, 6 - with his football commitments.
The man himself rates the NAIDOC award among the highlights of his sparkling career.
Because it was from his own people.
Logie-winning actress Deborah Mailman, of Channel 10's Secret Life of Us, was named NAIDOC person of the year.
"It's a huge honour to be put on the same stage as Deborah Mailman, who is one of our Aboriginal icons on the silver screen," David Peachey said.
"It's right up there with them (my other major awards)."
The 29-year-old said he was thrilled to have been acknowledged for his work with fellow Aborigines, and for "my sporting on top" - and humbled to have upstaged the likes of Johnson, the fastest man in the world this year.
"Pat does a lot for the communities as well. There wouldn't be too many Aboriginal people who don't do a lot for their communities," Peachey said.