PORT ADELAIDE’s playing group and coaching staff embraced Indigenous culture on Tuesday as part of the Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round in the AFL.
From eating traditional Aboriginal delicacies to learning traditional dance, boomerang and spear carving, the group was immersed in what it means to be Aboriginal.
Sam Powell-Pepper, who designed the guernsey the club will wear on Saturday against Hawthorn as part of the AFL’s celebration of Indigenous culture, has penned the following article to explain the experience.
On Tuesday we had an amazing experience as a club to celebrate Aboriginal culture, my culture!
First, we had lunch provided by past players Daniel Motlop and Danyle Pearce and Something Wild. The food was incredible.
Next, I presented my 46 brothers and coaches a jacket with my design on it, which we’ll wear this week for Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
Then, we got to listen to my Big Unks (Paddy Ryder) talk about his journey and upbringing and how proud he is to be at the Port Adelaide Football Club, like me. He got emotional during his talk, which tells you how much he cares about what he’s talking about.
Next, the eight Aboriginal players on our list were made captains and we had to pick our teams that were going to compete for the Cultural Experience title at PAFC.
As a group, we each placed our feet in some paint and walked together across a canvas to signify us as Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people coming together, walking side by side into the future as one. I absolutely loved this idea.
Then the competition started! We had senior custodian of the Kaurna people, Karl Telfer greet us and explain the significance of his people and the importance of fire, which he created using the old traditional methods our people have used for thousands of years. I saw my teammates looking on in awe of this, and then seeing the fire come alive was spiritually uplifting.
We then were introduced to Patrick Ferguson, who is a master wood carver, and he told us about how far away the wood has come from and the importance of us showing respect to it. He gave us a task in our groups of eight to carve a boomerang and spear. The boys were very excited and up for the challenge. Even Kenny was talking a lot of smack on how good his spear was.
As we were completing our boomerangs and spears we were taken off in groups by Karl and given animals that we had to learn how to dance like. For some, this took them right out of their comfort zones, but I just loved the way my teammates embraced the challenge and were excited to perform in front of everyone to end the day.
The competition concluded and each group had to present their boomerangs and spears to Patrick for grading out of five. There was a lot of trash talking at that moment from each group!
Then we had to perform our animal dance, which I loved because we got to do the goanna, which is my totem and spirit animal from back home in Western Australia. Again, our dancing was being judged by Karl Telfer and rated out of five.
We finished the day off with every player and coach coming together as one and doing a fire dance with Karl, Kanu and Jordan assisting us. This was so powerful seeing my teammates smiling and just loving the moment.
Thank you to everyone for organizing this day as it will be one I, and I’m sure my teammates will never forget. What a way to celebrate Indigenous Round.
- Peps.
