Another EFNL club will debut an Indigenous jumper this weekend, with the Rowville Football Club unveiling their design last night ahead of this weekend’s game with Park Orchards.
The Rowville design is the work of Steven Hanning, of the Arrernte and Anmatyerre people in Central Australia.
Hanning, who grew up in Darwin and the Tiwi Islands worked with his cousin and current Rowville player Jethro Calma-Holt on the design.
“The painting is a mixture of Central Australian dot painting and Tiwi/Northern cross hatching art styles. I didn’t want to take too much away from the Hawks jumper, so I added elements of what I believe football represents.
“The two spears are the two teams competing and the two boomerangs represent the captains. The dot paintings in the middle are three key elements of a community football club; the coaches, the playing group, and the volunteers/supporters.
“I worked with my cousin Jethro Calma-Holt, current Rowville player, for inspiration in the design which connects our culture to the Club.”
Speaking on behalf of the club, President Ben Corfee emphasised the importance the club has placed on educating its players and members about our First Nations people.
“The Rowville Football Club is determined to increase our knowledge of our First Nations people by educating our group through various ways.
“Wearing an Indigenous guernsey in 2022 means we can celebrate the culture and history of this country, including our Indigenous players, while we compete on the field.
“It’s a great conversation starter, we can talk to our families, friends and networks about what the Indigenous symbols represent and why they are significant to us and the artist.”
Rowville, like Whitehorse, will have a traditional Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony prior to their clash with Park Orchards at the weekend.
“We feel it’s important to also learn through listening meaningfully to First Nations people, so we have engaged with the local Aboriginal community to have a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony conducted by a Traditional Owners of the land, the Wurundjeri People, and a guest speaker to share their experiences and perspectives.
“From here, we aim to celebrate our shared history across the whole year, not just during Indigenous themed events.”
