Indigenous Round
13-19 May 2024
Celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and its contribution to our games during the AFL Barwon Indigenous Round.
Cultural Education Session
AFL Barwon worked with the Narana Aboriginal Cultural Centre to host an Indigenous Round Launch in the form of a Cultural Education Session on Monday May 6th.
The club representatives received education from Uncle Vince Ross, as well as heard from Yalanda Neal - the designer of the Indigenous match balls.
Vilification and Discrimination Module
AFL is a game for everyone!
It is important to play the game in the right spirit and to respect your opponents.
Whether it’s on or off the field, the AFL rules ban comments that insult or abuse someone about how they look or where they’re from.
We’ve teamed up with the Geelong Cats to help deliver the AFL’s short online course to help you understand the harm caused by racism and other forms of vilification.
The course also has tips on how to make your club more welcoming and connected to your community.
Indigenous Club Uniforms
Portarlington Demons
The story starts with Bunjil the Wedge tailed Eagle and his place as the creator sprit for the local Wudawurrung people. Bunjil is looking over the Portarlington Football Netball club and its work in creating an inclusive, welcoming club. The center circle represents the club and its efforts in creating a meeting place and inviting all to join them, no matter where you are from or the journey you have taken, all will be welcome.
South Barwon Swans
The design was centered around the clubs traditional colors, incorporating the light blue to share the history of the clubs colors, worn by Barwon football club before transferring to South Barwon. Using the colors, important features were incorporated in the landscape around the football club, with the designs representing Coastal country, Freshwater Country, hill/mountain Country and including eucalyptus leaves as a sign of cleansing and welcoming all onto Wadawurrung Country.
Drysdale Hawks
The hawk represents the clubs logo. The boomerangs shows the strength of the club from the junior levels through to the senior playing groups. The cycles and lines are for everyone involved at the club and connection they have with one another, creating a safety net for each other.
Geelong West Giants
The symbols on this design represents the artist’s journey. The front of the design represents travelling from Apmere Atynhe to where they are today, and symbolises them leaving home and moving down to Wadurrung country.
The 6 countries on the back of the jumper capture where the artist is from and symbolise the family they have there. This includes the Artekerre community in Arrernte Country, the Ltyentye Apurte Community in Eastern Arrernte Country, the Artekerre community in Alyawarr Country, the Arrengaye Apmere community in Alyawarr Country, the Mpartnwe community in Central Arrernte Country, and finally Waduwurrung Country where they live today.