WAFLW Clubs Recognise Indigenous RoundThursday, May 25, 2023 - 12:36 PM

The WAFLW will celebrate Indigenous Round this weekend with clubs wearing specially designed jumpers. 

Rio Tinto is again supporting the production of Indigenous-design jumpers for Round 12 of the competition, which coincides with the beginning of National Reconciliation Week from May 27 to June 3. 

Swan Districts and West Perth will be playing in new jumper designs as they host matches this weekend. 

The black and white’s jumper design is from the mural at Steel Blue Oval, designed and painted by local artist and proud Whadjuk-Yuet-Ballardong man, Kevin Bynder.

The design is an ancient satellite map showing places of significance along the Derbarl Yerrigan near the club’s home ground in Bassendean. 

It serves as an important cultural reference point and educational tool. 

Bynder says the jumper has special meaning to him. 

“I was proud when asked to do this design as my grandfather was born just 500m from Swans, on the river. 

“So, this design has a special part of my heart being able to represent my grandfather’s life,” Bynder said. 

The map includes significant places over thousands of years including massacre sites, burial sites, meeting locations, camp sites, fishing spots, as well where expecting mothers would go to give birth.

Swan Districts and Steel Blue Oval are represented in the map as a Swan inside an oval using the symbol for a meeting place.

West Perth’s new design also holds special significance, a one-club, co-designed piece linking stories from both male and female programs. 

The Falcon, as the mascot of the club, is a huge part of this design by Marcia McGuire from Maalia Aboriginal Designs. 

Falcons represent speed and strength, sharp eyesight, lethal nature, and deadly hunting skills. 

In this artwork the team is fast, strong, with sharp eyes on the ball, along with lethal and deadly skills. 

The falcon lays across the upper chest of each player, laid in a way that is in line with their arms, representing their inner falcon spirit. 

The patterns of the falcon wings flow down the centre, embodying all parts of the inner strength. 

Also, part of WAFLW Indigenous Round is the design of the footballs being used and the umpires’ shirts. 

Designed by Diversity Coordinator at the West Australian Football Commission Jade Narkle, the theme for the football design is titled “Third Space”. 

When two cultures physically come together this is when the “Third Space” is created. 

Narkle said she was honoured to be asked to design the umpires’ shirts and game-day footballs and share the design’s story. 

“I love seeing the final piece and being able to share the story behind it to the wider community,” Narkle said. 

“I believe if we are to close the gap between my people, we have to use the third space theory to come together and work together.” 

Non-Indigenous people participate in Indigenous cultural activities (NAIDOC Week), support Reconciliation and are also a part of the RAP Working Group helping to create positive outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. 

It’s a belief that this is the place where they need to be with a two-way process. 

The design on the ball represents the third space, two cultures walking into the third space with some hurdles and barries on the way but still moving forward to meet in the middle to work together.