THIS weekend's AFL Indigenous Round celebrates the contribution players, participants, fans and Indigenous communities bring to our game, both on and off the field under the theme ‘When you dream, everything’s possible’.
This year, for the first time in the game’s history, all 18 AFL clubs will wear an Indigenous themed jumper, demonstrating the national scope of the celebration.
The Sydney Swans wore a jumper during the team's 110 point thumping of Geelong designed by Indigenous artist Lisa Sansbury, who is also the mother of Adam Goodes.
Speaking at the launch of the jumper, Goodes said it was a momentous occasion for him to be wearing the design.
“I'm very honoured and proud to be playing in an Indigenous Round with an Indigenous jumper for the first time, and to have my beautiful mother design it, which I'm very honoured,” Goodes said.
“This year every [AFL] club will have an Indigenous jumper for the round and that's something we spoke about at the Indigenous camp two years ago, how good it would be to have every club support the idea of having an Indigenous design for the round, and this year we've achieved it.”
The AFL has partnered with Recognise in support of the constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia’s founding document.
The Recognise campaign will be a feature of every AFL game and the campaign’s distinctive logo will feature at the grounds and on the cover of the AFL Footy Record.
Goodes reflected on the importance of Indigenous Round and the AFL’s commitment to the Recognise campaign.
“This week is an opportunity for the players to share their stories about their own country and their Indigenous identity.”
“It is also a time to highlight our commitment to the Recognise campaign, I'm proud of the 40,000-plus years of history of my ancestors, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia," Goodes said.
"And yet that impressive Australian story is still missing from Australia's founding document.
"What a great day it will be for our nation when we fix that historic exclusion together.”
Photo courtesy of Rob Wright / Coffs Coast Advocate
Last Modified on 30/05/2014 15:00