Age: 31

Profession: Indigenous Youth Worker, WA

Quote: “Growing up, I didn’t watch ‘Bob the Builder’, I’d be out trying to hunt grandpa’s rabbits. I’ve literally been hunting my whole life and I’ve been outdoors since before I can remember.”

Identifying as a Yanyuwa, Waanyi/Garawa man, Matt’s deep connection to culture stems from the teachings of Aboriginal elders and community leaders from Yawuru—Broome—where he lives rurally with his wife and two children.

A true country boy at heart, Matt grew up on a cattle station, developing a profound bond with the land. While his athleticism took him to the heights of professional rugby league, playing 17 NRL games for the Canberra Raiders and NZ Warriors, it was his connection to country that ultimately called him back, leaving the sporting world behind to work with community and Indigenous youth.

Matt is highly skilled in traditional practices like goanna hunting, spearing stingrays, fishing in the shallows, and pig hunting with a nulla-nulla. A member of the Australian Bow Hunters Association, he’s proficient with compound and recurve bows, and hunts with rifles, bows, and traps. His fishing skills include fly fishing, ocean and freshwater fishing with bait, spears, handlines, and catch-and-release traps. In addition to his hunting and fishing prowess, Matt is resourceful in bushcraft. He’s crafted spears, clubs, yabby traps, fish traps, crab traps, lures, and crab hooks, all using traditional methods.

A seasoned big game hunter, she’s now looking forward to facing a new test: hunting without her trusted firearms or bow. A confident trapper, fisher and forager, she’s comfortable in her ability to make use of what the land offers. “Bush tucker is my jam.” she says, “I’ve eaten scorpions, snails, spiders, and mealworms – foraging is what I rely on the most in the wild.” For the past six years, Karla has thrived in solitude, travelling solo and working remotely, embracing the freedom of living life on her own terms. Winning would elevate her nomadic lifestyle to the next level.