Port Adelaide has connected with all relevant parties in response to social media commentary relating to the club’s Indigenous guernsey for Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
Port Adelaide can now confirm the artwork on the guernsey was originally designed by Aboriginal artist Elle Campbell for a 2019 exhibition at Flinders Medical Centre to celebrate NAIDOC week.
The club met with Ms Campbell this morning who stressed that she wanted the club to wear the design as part of the upcoming Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
“Sir Doug Nicholls Round is important to me and my people and I know it means a lot to Port Adelaide. I don’t want to take anything away from the club or the Indigenous players representing the club,” she said.
“I definitely want Port Adelaide to wear the guernsey with great pride in Sir Doug Nicholls Round.”
Ms Campbell confirmed she had been in contact with the student who claimed to have designed the guernsey as part of the curriculum for the Santos Aboriginal Power Cup.
“The way the Port Adelaide Football Club has handled this has been great. I’m happy that I will receive the recognition as the original artist and that my story behind the artwork can be told,” she said.
“One thing that I want to stress is that I don’t want people to hassle the student. She’s young, she’s made a mistake and owned it, and I know what social media culture can be like. I ask people to consider her feelings because there’s certainly no ill feeling from me and I just want her to work through this situation with her family.”
Ms Campbell said she wanted all proceeds from the guernseys to be invested into the club’s Aboriginal Programs.
“I understand all the work Port Adelaide invests into Aboriginal youth through their Indigenous programs. I’m more than happy for all the guernsey sales to be invested back into these programs to ensure Indigenous youth continue to get opportunities to grow,” she said.
Port Adelaide chief executive Matthew Richardson thanked Ms Campbell for her understanding.
“Clearly, no one intended for this to play out this way, but we are now pleased that Ms Campbell will get the recognition she deserves and we look forward to telling the story behind her artwork next week,” Mr Richardson said.
“Ms Campbell has been outstanding throughout this whole process and we thank her for her understanding. It’s a mark of her character that one of her first concerns was the welfare of the student.
“We have provided support resources for the student and her family and will continue to support her moving forward. She made a mistake and acknowledged it, so now we ask others to respect her privacy.”
