PORT ADELAIDE will combine a celebration of Indigenous history and culture with its 150th anniversary celebrations in 2020, with its special guernsey for the Sir Doug Nicholls Round to pay homage to all of the club’s past and present Indigenous players.
Featuring small boomerangs which carry the names of each of the 62 Indigenous players to represent the club, the guernsey designed by Kaurna custodian Karl "Winda" Telfer aims to retell the stories of old and open up new conversations around Indigenous relations.
It is a return to a white guernsey for Port Adelaide in 2020, having worn black guernseys in the past two seasons.
In his own words, Winda explains the cultural symbols he has used in his design, called "Bukko Tjidna – Bare Foot” to honour all of those who came before us and to respectfully walk softly alongside the footprints of the ancestors.
“There has always been an understanding and respectful relations between our peoples, especially in the Port Adelaide area,” he told portadelaidefc.com.au.
“So, this design I have done will hopefully retell the stories of old and open up new conversations and connections and further deepen respectful relationships for our peoples, cultures and our game.
“I have drawn inspiration from 1891 to present day to bring the living culture and history together with strength, respect and pride for all the achievements and contributions our first nations Aboriginal people have made and continue to do so.”
Here are the key features of the design:
Kuraka woppa - The four feathers of the Magpie: The four feathers of Kuraka Woppa – Magpie Feathers represent, the players, the coaches and staff, the supporters and the game. The feathers symbolise the bird which is the spirit totem of the Port Adelaide Football Club. The Red Gum trees are strong and stand as pillars of strength.
Mullabakka – The four shields represent the warrior brotherhood of the team. Guiding, defending, protecting and looking after each other on and off the field of contest.
Winda – The four spears represent the club tradition - fly straight, stand strong, run together, hit hard, honour the club and guernsey on the field and hunt with power and aggression and be respected as warriors of the club.
Meyunna Kuri – The centre circle represents the generations of people coming together, the outer circle are men represented by the red, the yellow circle represents the women and in the older people and children are represented by the white larger centre circle. This centric symbol speaks of the power, strength and connection the club has to the past, future and today’s generations.
Wadna - The two large Boomerangs facing each other represent the long-standing relationship that the First Nations Aboriginal players and community have had with the Port Adelaide Football Club and wider community in the Port Adelaide region. The two Boomerangs have the black and white lines at each end to represent our peoples coming together through the culture of football. There is an element of fear for the opposition when the Boomerangs are held in the hands of the warriors when they take to the field to contest. They also speak to the Prison Bars which to this day, also incite fear in opposition teams. The Teal and White are the current colours representing the evolution of Port Adelaide into the AFL. The three lined breaks towards the ends and middle of the Boomerangs represent the passing on of stories and the knowledge of the game to the younger generations.
Turtpa Wadna – The small Boomerangs carry all the names of the 62 past and present First Nations Aboriginal players who have graced the field with their brilliance, flair and craft for the Port Adelaide Football Club since Harry Hewitt in 1891. One of those Boomerangs has become a permanent reminder of the contribution our people have made to our National sport and the culture of the game at Adelaide Oval.
The guernsey also features the Santos logo on the back for the first time. The club is thrilled to feature the logo as an acknowledgement of Santos’ support of the club and its industry-leading Indigenous programs.
For more than 12 years, Santos has supported the Santos Aboriginal Power Cup, which has seen over 4000 Indigenous secondary school students participate in an educational program which features an annual football carnival.
The winning girls’ and boys’ teams get to play off in a curtain raiser at Adelaide Oval as a reward for completing their studies.
The guernsey will be available online and in store at the Port Store from Tuesday 11 August.
