For the first time in AFL Barwon history, all panel netball umpires for the upcoming AFL Barwon Indigenous Round will be wearing specially designed umpire tops. Designed and created by proud Noongar Wandandi Boodja first nations man Joshua James, the tops have been designed to encompass the entirety of the Barwon Region. 

The full story and meaning of the artwork and the artist, Joshua James can be found below.

Artwork Design

The artwork is called Moorditj Boodja which means “Strong Country” in Noongar language. There are two narratives within the artwork design. One being the story behind the design which is based on the waterways located around Geelong, Bellarine, Surf Coast, Colac and Otway’s including Hovells Creek, Corio Bay, Port Philip Bay, Bass Strait and the Barwon River.

The second story covers the netball fraternity, showcasing the leagues that operate within AFL Barwon and the connection these leagues have. Netball is more than a sport. It is a sport that unites family’s friends and children. Netball has an environment that is extremely passionate and inclusive and supportive. This is very evident with venues where netball is played having a very positive environment for all grades including women’s, men, children and all abilities.

Artwork Design in detail

From a far – The artwork outline is a view from above of the land and sea in the region through the eyes of Bunjil, the eagle who is the spirit and creator of these local lands. The land covers the Bellarine, Surf coast, Otway’s, Bay, Inland and Djilang. The landscape and sea scape also covers Hovells’ Creek coming through Lara and the Barwon River that crosses the land and enters the sea at Barwon Heads.

Inside the land – There are 4 yarning circles, these are the different leagues and match divisions/grades throughout AFL Barwon in the region. The top right represents the GFNL while the top left represents the BFNL, both of which have 5 senior grades. The bottom left represents the CDFNL which has 4 senior grades. The yarning circle in the centre represents junior girls, men's/boys, all -abilities and midweek games that are played across the region.

Inside the waterways – There are 4 gathering circles, these represent all grades and matches that are played throughout the region. They are connected because this continues to show the strength of the netball family and community and how powerful unity is. The 4 gathering circles are connected by a final piece which is the two symbols around a yarning circle. This symbol represents the two referees that are required to referee a netball match. They are connected to all the leagues as netball needs a referee to ensure the game runs smoothly, the laws are applied withing the spirt of the game and provides a safe and duty of care to the players involved. There are approximately 300 netball referees required each week in the AFL Barwon region. Referees are from a wide range of backgrounds, some do it professionally, some are players filling in, some do it for a hobby to keep fit and early some casual money on the weekends, some do it semi-professional and others are parents and siblings filling in because the game cannot continue without a referee. 

To the bottom right there are 5 people dancing, this group of people dancing represent people from all walks of life and celebrating people coming together, supporting each other in unity and inclusion regardless of age, culture, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, disabilities or the colour of their skin.

Artwork Outcome

Joshua hopes that this artwork unites and connects people over the next three years as this is worn by AFL Barwon referees across the region in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Referee’s will wear this design while refereeing in all senior grade games across all divisions and leagues in AFL Barwon.  Josh ask’s that each refereeing panel wear’s this design to take just a brief moment pre-game to acknowledge what the artwork represents and how they can impact the aboriginal community in a positive manner.

Artist Background

Joshua James is a Proud Aboriginal man from Noongar Boodja in the Southwest of Western Australia. Josh has been involved heavily in umpiring for 20 years, including the last 7 years here in AFL Barwon. During this time, Josh has some fantastic achievements including, umpiring all around the nation which includes umpiring Senior State league football and umpiring over 370 Senior matches and 9 Senior Grand finals. Josh originally started umpiring in the Southwest Football League in Bunbury, Western Australia in 2003. Since moving to Victoria in 2015 Josh has been involved with AFL Barwon and the Geelong Umpires. During this time Josh umpired 3 Senior Grand Finals and has been a field umpires coach for the past 6 seasons, with season 2023 being one of his biggest as he takes on the Senior Coaching role in Geelong for the first time. In doing so he becomes the first ever Senior Aboriginal Coach in the region.

One of Josh’s proudest moments was in 2022 when he was selected as a matchday coach for AFLW Season 7 making him the first Aboriginal umpiring coach in the history of AFLW.

Along with umpiring and coaching Josh is the Umpire AFL Aboriginal Ambassador which is a Nation-wide role which looks at assisting Aboriginal umpires and coaches in further development. Josh has implemented several programs to help in umpire recruitment and retention which he is extremely proud of. Josh is driven and committed to increase Aboriginal participation in umpiring and to see more Aboriginal people involved in umpiring, coaching and achieve a higher representation of first nations people at state league level and the AFL.

This coming weekend is a celebration and recognition of the connection to our local First Nations communities with the Indigenous Round faceoff between Portarlington Football Netball Club and Anglesea Football Netball Club.

Portarlington FNC is an influential leader in supporting Indigenous communities and being an advocate for inclusivity through embracing and acknowledging the importance of First Nations culture. Their participation in the Indigenous Round is integral to their commitment to creating a connection between the Portarlington and First Nations communities.

Portarlington’s U18s co-coach and senior runner Ryan Shaw, explains how the club puts the community and the centre of everything they do. As they celebrate the club’s history, they feel it is important to reflect on, recognise and embrace the culture of the local Wudawurrung people, past, present, and emerging. “We identify as a community club, not just a football netball club and therefore it’s our policy of inclusivity that led us to welcome everyone in our community,” says Shaw.

In addition to their Indigenous Day, Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremonies, Portarlington FNC senior netballers will wear Indigenous bibs and the U18s, Seniors, and Reserves Football teams will proudly don a custom-designed jumper for this coming Indigenous Round.

This jumper was designed by local artist Chris Delamont, a proud Wiradjuri/Nari Nari man and Portarlington FNC’s Indigenous Advocate. Delamont uses his art to keep his culture, language, and storytelling alive. He says, “Reconciliation is a journey of truth-telling and acknowledgment and the practice of art is an opportunity to educate through cultural symbolism and storytelling”.  

The story of the Indigenous jumper starts with “Bunjil the Wedge-tailed Eagle and his place as the creator spirit for the local Wudawurrung people and that he is looking over the Portarlington Demons FNC and its work in creating an inclusive, welcoming club. The centre circle represents the club creating a meeting place and inviting all to join them no matter where you are from or the journey you have taken that all will be welcome,” Delamont describes.

Accompanying this jumper, Shaw, along with several footballers, will wear boots specially decorated in cultural paintings done by local students Kasey (Year 12) and Jess (Year 11) Tattersall. These sisters are proud Yorta Yorta women who, like Delamont, use art to “keep a strong connection to [their] land and [their] people”.

Both Kasey and Jess are talented artists. Kasey designed the cover of their school’s dairy with ‘I Belong with Family’, a piece inspired by “the importance of feeling a sense of belonging within your family”. Jess owns her own local Indigenous Artwork company, @OgArtistryStudio, where she sells both textured and Aboriginal artwork, helping Jess “feel more connected to [her] culture and learn so much at the same time”.

Kasey and Jess strongly believe in the importance of sharing their culture and educating others to help further understanding to work towards a better future for First Nations peoples. The sisters revealed “We are able to present ourselves in a way that could be influential to some people and have a positive impact on others. We get to showcase our amazing culture that is the longest living culture in the world. That is something for any Indigenous person to be proud of. We think it is important because we are helping create a better future, it is important to help educate non-Indigenous people on Indigenous culture so they can have a better understanding. But it's also important so we don’t forget about the incredible history of Australia.”

It is clear the Indigenous round this weekend holds great significance for the community of Portarlington and beyond and is much more than different jumpers and painted boots. “It acknowledges our commitment to the Wudawurrung community and celebrates the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the Portarlington FNC and its community,” tells Shaw.

Shaw sends a warm invitation and encourages all to attend the Smoking Ceremony at 9:45am this Saturday 8^th July at Portarlington Recreation Reserve.

Author: Nina Hyde (AFL Barwon Communications Intern)

AFL Barwon advises the Match Review of the weekends games has been completed with the following findings.