Bagaarrmugu lawyer opens on real contention (4,7)

I believe the answer is:

noel pearson

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'bagaarrmugu lawyer' is the definition.
I know nothing about this answer so I can't tell whether this works.

'opens on real contention' is the wordplay.
'opens on real' can be anagrammed to 'NOEL PEARSON'.
However, I'm not clear how the anagram is indicated.

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I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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