Grubbers to host indigenous games this weekend

OCEAN Grove Football Club will host a special event this weekend to mark and recognise indigenous players.

All four teams competing on Saturday in the men’s and ladies competition till take to the ground for a Welcome to the Country ceremony and smoking ceremony, which will be performed by two Aboriginal elders, while a didgeridoo is played.

The senior men will take on Anglesea at Ray Menzies Oval at 2pm, while the senior ladies will take on Lara at 5pm.

The ceremony will take place after the men’s game, and before the ladies game, at about 4.45pm.

An Indigenous lady from the Northern Territory has designed a beautiful piece of art which has been used as the design for both the men and women’s jumpers for this game. Her name is Tradara Naparula Briscoe and she is from the tribe Anmatyerr.

Her artwork is titled “Dreaming: Swan”, and the club will be framing the original artwork and auctioning it off at a later date.

The ground will also have the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island flags painted on the field as a sign of respect.