Perth Football Club changes name during NAIDOC WeekWednesday, July 5, 2023 - 8:28 AM

Perth Football Club will take on the name of ‘Boorloo Football Club’ in celebration of NAIDOC Week.

The change of name is for the Football Club to honour the Whadjuk Noongar people, the traditional custodians of the Perth area, in which the club is named after.

Boorloo player Sam Stubbs designed the club’s NAIDOC jumper, highlighting the journey of two of senior Indigenous teammates, Simon Hayward and Chapman Jones.

“The Belmont Football Club has a strong connection to the Perth Football Club and played a large part in their development as players,” Stubbs said.

“Their career path and game highlights including WAFL League debuts are portrayed in the middle pathway. The final is their position at present, proud members of Perth Football Club.

“The back of the jumper represents both players and their families, surrounded by our Perth past and present Indigenous and non-Indigenous players supporting them on their journey.”

Along with Boorloo Football Club, South Fremantle, Subiaco, Swan Districts and West Perth will play host to a suite of activities to round out NAIDOC Week.

Funding from WA Football's NAIDOC Round Partner Rio Tinto assisted with the production of the WAFL jumpers.

Started in 2007 by South Fremantle and Claremont Football Clubs and then adopted League wide in 2009, the WAFL has celebrated the rich history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to our great game.

This year’s NAIDOC Week theme is for ‘Our Elders’ which recognises that across every generation, Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and hold a prominent place in our communities and families.

South Fremantle has a jam-packed schedule of activities on Saturday 8 July, including a Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country. The highlight this year is when the Bulldogs unveil the names of two South Fremantle Indigenous Legends – Benny Vigona and Basil Campbell – as names ends of the ground.

Fans will also get to meet Vigona and Campbell along with another legend of the club, Stephen Michael.

The Bulldogs’ jumper’s design by Darryl Bellotti, is based on highlighting the location of the South Fremantle FC at the mouth of the river, and on the Indian Ocean Coast.

“A mixture of land and sea animals are included, with the journey of Nyoongar people weaving through the great lakes and water ways of the Whadjuck region, Bellotti described.

Jade McGuire designed East Perth's jumper which represents each individual's journey to the football club.

"The symbols represent female and male and their journey coming from there lands down to the meeting place of East Perth Football Club and the Lake Monger area – an important gathering and hunting area for Noongar people," McGuire said.

Subiaco’s jumper theme is ‘Hill Country’, which means how we’ve looked after our waterways, our land and our sacred sites and was designed by Des Headland and Kevin Bynder.

“The clapping sticks at the top of the jumper being symbolic of dance and celebration is a great way to represent the spirit of the club and the joy of the game,” Headland said.

Bynder also designed Swan Districts’ jumper – an ancient satellite map showing the places of significance along the Derbarl Yerrigan, near Steel Blue Oval Bassendean.

This is Kevin's grandfather’s country as he was born down by the river, so this has been a spiritual project for him given he is so connected to this area.

“The map includes significant places that have transpired 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,” Bunder said.

Designed by Marcia McGuire from Maalia Aboriginal Designs, the West Perth jumper links stories from both mens’ and womens’ programs.

“The Falcon, as the mascot of the club, is a huge part of this design,” McGuire said. 

“Falcon’s, in nature represent, speed and strength, sharp eyesight, lethal nature, and deadly hunting skills. In this artwork, this is the team, fast, strong, sharp eyes on the ball, 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.”