ONE of the region\u2019s football netball clubs is set to close out this year\u2019s National Reconciliation Week with the launch of a new Indigenous-themed jumper.<\/p>\n
The Inverleigh Football and Netball Club will debut the design tomorrow during their first Indigenous round at Morton Park against the Belmont Lions which will follow the AFL\u2019s Sir Doug Nicholls NAIDOC round.<\/p>\n
Hawks\u2019 president David Haste said the jumpers reinforce the group\u2019s ethos of inclusion.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us, the message is there\u2019s a space for everyone in our club, young or old or whatever your background is,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt fits in well with our code of ethics of inclusion and acceptance. This is our first step in doing this regularly and our push for acceptance in this field.<\/p>\n
\u201cNext year we\u2019ll be looking at doing this with the netballers too because we didn\u2019t quite get that side of it in time for this round.\u201d<\/p>\n
The jumpers will be worn by the club\u2019s 23 senior players for the one-off event.<\/p>\n
Emblazoned with the club\u2019s brown and gold colours, the design symbolises the ngeeyangarra, or hawk, travelling over the junction between the Leigh and Barwon rivers.<\/p>\n
The design was created by Gunditjmara Keerray Woorroong artist Tarryn Love with her brother Jarrod, who is the Hawks\u2019 vice-captain.<\/p>\n
Mr Haste said the Love siblings have long held a connection the club.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe kids grew up in Teesdale and played junior football and netball with us,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019ve been with the club for probably 15 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey were both very keen to tie this in with the Sir Doug Nicholls NAIDOC round because the messaging\u2019s all there.<\/p>\n
\u201cHaving the hawk on the jumper and the river junction, which is exactly where Inverleigh\u2019s placed, is fairly symbolic not just for the club but hopefully it\u2019s something the whole community can come behind.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ONE of the region\u2019s football netball clubs is set to close out this year\u2019s National Reconciliation Week with the launch of a new Indigenous-themed jumper. The Inverleigh Football and Netball Club will debut the design tomorrow during their first Indigenous round at Morton Park against the Belmont Lions which will follow the AFL\u2019s Sir Doug […]<\/p>\n