Players and officials across Goulburn Valley League will take to the field and court with a new look across the next two weekends of action.
In round 12 and 13, all three football outfits and five netball sides for each of the 12 clubs ― as well as umpires and officials ― will don special jumpers, dresses and shirts.
The occasion?
GVL Indigenous Round ― to be held across two weekends this season for the first time, but definitely not the last.
On Wednesday night the league ― along with its major naming rights partner GOTAFE ― hosted a NAIDOC dinner at Mooroopna, in part to launch the league’s new line of Indigenous apparel.
“The Indigenous Round is always a special round in the GVL’s calendar. Last night was a fantastic opportunity to instil Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and understanding across our league and surrounding communities,” league board chair Jacqui Hudgson said.
"Last night was the launch of the second part of this project. From this year onwards, the GVL will celebrate the Indigenous Round over two rounds.”
This week’s dinner was also a key milestone of the league’s Cultural Sporting Prevention Project led by GOTAFE Koorie unit co-ordinator Tracy Hardie.
In June 2022, the league announced it was the successful recipient of a funding grant of $147,000.
The funding from the Preventing the Cycle of Violence ― Strengthening Families Fund offers an expansion of the Cultural Sporting Prevention Project implemented in Kyabram District League.
It has been led by Hardie, in partnership with the GVL and AFL Goulburn Murray.
This is a whole league initiative, with all 12 member clubs participating.
“Sporting communities offer the perfect setting to target men, women, young people and families to deliver our key messages,” Hardie said.
“Expanding the project will contribute to a regional response to raise awareness of violence and instil an understanding of Aboriginal culture and history paving the way for future generations.”
The designs for each club were created by contemporary local artist Alkina Edwards.
Edwards is a proud Yorta Yorta, Wemba Wemba, Mutthi Mutthi and Wiradjuri woman on her mother’s side and a proud Bundjalung and Wakka Wakka woman on her father’s side.
All clubs will utilise her designs, with the exception of Echuca which will use its own design.
“We were absolutely thrilled to present our Indigenous apparel designs to the wider GVL community and feedback received was outstanding,” Hudgson said.
“Alkina has put a tremendous amount of work into each individual design and we cannot thank her enough. We were all absolutely blown away by each and every design and we look forward to seeing the designs on our players across the next two weekends.”
The netball umpires and all league officials will also wear Indigenous shirts, while all Goulburn Valley Football Umpire Association umpires will don Indigenous shirts as well.
The initiative has included a Say No to Violence round that took place on May 27 with Rochester hosting the feature match of the round.
“The expansion of this project into the GVL will continue to nurture and grow the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians across our region,” AFL Goulburn Murray region manager Shaun Connell said.
“It will promote greater cultural awareness which will further enhance these relationships as we work together to also raise awareness of violence and its impacts on our communities.”