Champion Australian Rules footballer, Arrernte Australian Sonny Morey (b. circa 1945) was in residential and foster care as a child. 7-year-old Sonny was taken from his family while playing with a cousin on the Todd River.

His surname was changed by authorities from Gorey to Morey and he became a ward of the state, first living for 6 years at St Mary’s Hostel in Alice Springs. In 1958, Sonny and 2 other young boys were suddenly uprooted, flown to Adelaide and moved into St Francis House in the beachside suburb of Semaphore. When St Francis closed in 1959, 14 year old Sonny was taken in by Ada and Sydney Maguire until Ada left her violent husband. She then moved with Sonny close to Gawler football oval where Sonny was “already making a name for himself”.

Sonny Morey played his first game for Central District Football Club in 1964 and went on to play 200 games for the club.