Connecting Through Culture: Celebrating NAIDOC Round in the WAFL

WAFL clubs will wear their specially designed Indigenous jumpers across Rounds 12 and 13 to celebrate NAIDOC Week.

As WA Football’s NAIDOC Round partner, Rio Tinto supports the WAFL Indigenous designed jumpers, which Claremont, Peel and East Fremantle will wear this weekend as they host NAIDOC Round.

Claremont’s jumper ‘Oongurr Willa’ has been designed by League player Rory Charles.

Photo: Salt Diaries

“The dotted circle represents underground waterholes that are connected to different tribes and languages throughout the Kimberly,” Charles stated.

“When it’s the full moon all the waterholes (oongurr) rise, as there is a title underground, that is why these waterholes never run dry.

“The smaller circles represent the people coming together sharing knowledge; the background pictures represent the sand dunes where our ancestors lived and hunted near the main waterholes.

The circles represent the different academies through different football clubs. The smaller circles represent the Indigenous players coming together as one.”

East Fremantle’s jumper is designed by Chaili Bolton who is from the Midwest, where her husband, Clinton Bolton is the Midwest Indigenous Development Officer for the East Fremantle Football Club.

The jumper’s design consists of five different features including the Shark which represents the football club.

“As the club is the backbone of opportunity for football talent in the Midwest, I’ve placed the Midwest recruitment zone with each of the town sites and the roads connecting all towns throughout Midwest,” Bolton said.

The 10 town sites include Shark Bay, Murchison, Northampton, Chapman Valley, Geraldton, Mullewa, Yalgoo, Mt Magnet, Cue and Sandstone.

“The long road then leads them to Boorloo (Perth) which is located on the tail of the shark and is ultimately where our young talent in the Midwest aims to be,” she said.

There are various symbols throughout the design, the larger dark blue symbols represent the people within the club, smaller blue symbols represent the youth throughout the Midwest and Perth, and the smaller blue dots represent the supporters. The white lines represent water/flowing tide, meaning changing times.

“As this year is the 125th anniversary, I wanted to continue the celebration and keep the replica guernsey as the base with the blue side panels and white center panel,” Bolton explained.

Peel Thunder’s jumper is designed by Daniel Mchenry which highlights the connections between club and the local community.

“The hammer of Peel Thunder sits at the centerpiece of the design symbolising the club as the gathering point for players, staff, and supporters, emphasising their unity,” McHenry said.

“The pink and teal symbols on the chest draw inspiration from the historic colours of the women’s and men’s codes.

“These symbolic elements continue to the back of the jersey, where they wrap around to another meeting place.

“The dual symbols on either side of this connection represent the dual premierships achieved by both the women’s and men’s league teams.”

This weekend WAFL clubs will run activities and cultural awareness sessions with players, culminating in a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony prior to games.

In Round 13 WAFL clubs Perth, South Fremantle, Subiaco, Swan Districts, West Coast Eagles and West Perth will wear their NAIDOC jumpers.

Round 12 – Saturday July 1 at 2.10pm

Claremont v Subiaco at Revo Fitness Stadium (link to tickets)

Peel Thunder v South Fremantle at Lane Group Stadium (link to tickets)

East Fremantle v West Coast Eagles at WACA (link to tickets)