THE Port Adelaide Football Club is pleased to unveil the specially designed guernsey it will wear during the Sir Doug Nicholls Round matches against Geelong and Essendon in rounds 10 and 11.
Designed by defender Lachie Jones with assistance from his aunty Madeliene Dirdi, the guernsey celebrates his journey to discovering more about his Aboriginal heritage and the life and legacy of his grandmother.
The guernsey’s centrepiece is a Brolga – the totem of the Yanyuwa people of Jones’ grandmother’s country at Borroloola, in Arnhem Land, south east of Darwin.
The footprints and the lines and circles around the V on the front of the guernsey represent his Nanna’s journey as a member of the “Stolen Generation” from Borroloola to Bute on the Yorke Peninsula, while the teal symbols represent the people who helped along the way.
On the back, the Brolga in a meeting place represents his Nanna’s final resting place at Bute.
“The art represents me, my family, my grandmother, my people the Yanyuwa people,” Jones said of his design.
“The Brolga is Nanna’s totem. We look after the brolga and the brolga looks after us. As you can see the brolga is taking off and is a powerful creature.
“I have included a boomerang at the bottom of the V as an ancient Aboriginal tool that’s been used for over 60,000 years and is still used in Aboriginal culture today.
“The Brolga on the back of the guernsey is in the centre of the meeting place and this symbolises Nanna’s final resting place and the end of her journey, as well as the beginning of mine.
“Nanna never forgot her family in Borroloola and they have never forgotten us.”
Jones becomes the eighth player since 2013 to have input in the design of the club’s Indigenous guernsey, and the first since teammate Sam Powell-Pepper in 2019.
“It is a huge honour to be given the opportunity to design this guernsey. I have been collecting the club’s Indigenous guernsey over the last five or six years so I’m pretty stoked to add to that with this design.
“Some of the players had an understanding of my story and how my pathway into the club came through my Indigenous side but to be able to tell that story, to honour Nanna through the guernsey is also really special for me and my family, and I can’t wait to see the boys wearing it in the next couple of weeks.”
Replica guernseys in adult and youth sizes will be available through the Port Store from Monday 16 May.
As well, the design has been added to a range of adult unisex hoodies, adult unisex t-shirts and 100% merino wool beanies and scarves which are also available at the Port Store at Alberton and online.
A portion of the profit of sales will go towards the continued support of the club's Aboriginal programs.
The Sir Doug Nicholls Round is held annually and celebrates the contribution and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and players to Australian Rules Football.
The design in Lachie Jones’ own words:
“The main centrepiece on the guernsey is the Brolga. The Brolga represents my people and my totem, we look after the brolga and the brolga looks after us. As you can see the brolga is taking off and is a powerful creature. The footprints on the front and back and the circles and lines represent my grandmother’s journey from her birthplace in Borroloola to her final resting place. The teal symbols represent the people that have helped along the way. You can see the boomerang in the V, the boomerang was and still is an important tool that Aboriginal people use. The art represents me, my family, my grandmothers, my people the Yanyuwa people.”
