The GIANTS have unveiled their Indigenous Jumper to be worn in the 2023 NAB AFLW Indigenous Rounds.
Across rounds seven and eight, the entire competition will recognise and celebrate the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island women and girls to Australian Football and the broader community.
Designed by long-standing designer Leeanne Hunter, the GIANTS will proudly wear the unified design of the Ngurra jumper, as worn by the GIANTS’ AFL side earlier this year.
The jumper is called Ngurra, which means country and connection in Darug language, the native tongue of the lands of Western Sydney.
The GIANTS will wear the Ngurra jumper in round eight only when they host the Carlton Football Club at Henson Park.
Hunter described the process of designing the jumper for 2023.
“I always reflect on what once was on traditional lands,” Hunter explained.
“The environment will diminish as progress moves forward and this piece is to remind people even though the city grows, we must allow space for nature to continue along the way.
“I depicted an interpretation of the Cumberland Plains, with people living on, playing in and enjoying its surrounds.”
In the design, Hunter has reflected the GIANTS’ home ground being on freshwater country, with the broader geographical region of Western Sydney surrounded by rivers and bushland.
The rivers are depicted by the flowing white lines on the border with the small round circles that connect them reflecting the suburbs and communities who live in those surrounding areas.
The large round orange circles on the front represent the areas that the players come from to come together at the GIANTS and play football as a team.
The footprints represent the impact of the GIANTS’ footsteps in Western Sydney.
On the back of the jumper, the leaf shape reflects the surrounding bushland of the Western Sydney region.
The large orange circle represents GIANTS Stadium with the footprints reflecting the players’ journey as they travel to the ground to play their matches.
The hands are used to reflect the skill of the players and the applause they receive from the loyal legion of the Orange Army.
2023 will be the fourth season that the AFLW has celebrated a league-wide Indigenous Round.
As part of the dedicated round the AFL will pay its respects to the Traditional Custodians of the land each match is played on, with ground signage at all matches to feature the name of the Traditional Owners and a representation of the Aboriginal women’s art symbol on the field.
In another AFLW first, Sherrin has created the first unique AFLW Indigenous Round football, designed by proud Kaurna, Ngarrindjeri and Nurrunga woman, Gabrielle Stengle. As part of the design, the word Sherrin will be replaced with the phrase ‘Tidna Parntu’ meaning ‘football’ in Kaurna language.
In addition, all 18 AFLW clubs will wear specially designed Indigenous Round guernseys, while umpires at all matches across rounds seven and eight will wear uniforms designed by Noongar Wandandi Boodja man and current umpire, Joshua James.
The GIANTS will take on St Kilda in round seven at RSEA Park on Saturday, October 14 at 1:05pm.
Purchase your own Ngurra jumper HERE.
