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First Nations Country and community recognised through NBL club’s Indigenous Round jerseys

Callan Morse
Callan Morse Published December 13, 2022 at 4.00pm (AWST)
The Melbourne United, Perth Wildcats, Illawarra Hawks and Adelaide 36ers Indigenous Round jerseys were on display at the NBL's Indigenous Round launch, which was recently held at Parliament House. Image: supplied, National Basketball League.

The National Basketball League's Indigenous Round has commenced, celebrating the contribution to basketball that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have and continue to make in Australia and New Zealand.

13 games across Rounds 10, 11 and 12 will see all 10 club sporting jerseys especially designed by local Indigenous artists, with uniforms representing each team's history, culture and connection to their local Country and community.

The Adelaide's 36ers Indigenous jersey represents the journey the club's players have been on while celebrating the significance of the occasion for Adelaide's players, coaches and fans.

Designed by 17-year-old Monica Turner-Collins, the design imagery representing gratitude and respect for supporters, coaches, the opposition and the lands on which the game is played on.

Designed by Wiradjuri woman Narelle Urquhart, the Brisbane Bullets' jersey depicts the eternal connection to the land, water, and sky Queenslanders have held for thousands of years.

Designed by Wiradjuri woman Narelle Urquhart, the Brisbane Bullets' jersey depicts the eternal connection to the land, water, and sky Queenslanders have held for thousands of years.

The Brisbane Bullets are planted into the rich sites of Mt Gravatt/Nathan, with Torres Strait Islander peoples also acknowledged in the design through fish and turtle ghost art.

Uncle Henry Fourmile, a Gimny Wallabarra Yidinji man and Traditional Owner of Cairns designed the Cairns Taipans uniform.

The designs on front and back of the Taipans jersey represents a central place of sportsmanship on Gimuy country.

The Illawarra Hawks will be wearing a uniform designed by Gundungurra elder Aunty Trish Levett.

Their jersey represents the Hawks, mother earth, the ocean and mountains.

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A proud descendent of the Boonwurrung, Yorta Yorta and Erub Torres Strait Island, Steve Ulula Parker designed Melbourne United's Indigenous Round uniform.

Prominently featuring "Naarm" (Melbourne) the design displays a map of part of the Kulin Nation, the lands which Melbourne United call home.

Representing Aware Marae, the New Zealand Breakers Indigenous jersey's spearhead shape represents a historic battlefield formation named Te Kauwae Maro.

It's inclusion represents the club's desire to continue moving forward with the power of the people behind them, with the smaller shapes dotted throughout the spearheads represent unity, strength, courage and fortitude.

The Perth Wildcats jersey features artwork created by Geraldton artist Beau Simpson.

The design features bold and vibrant pink and aqua to contrast the classic Wildcats red, alongside the Wildcats adopted name 'Djooditj' (Noongar for Western Quoll), which is being used for the first time during this season's Indigenous Round.

Designed by Yankunyjatjara and Wirangu woman Shelley Ware, the South East Melbourne Phoenix jersey uses circle symbols that symbolise meeting places to represent the club's players.

The back of the jersey represents ancestors looking over people who make up the club, whilst the bottom of the jersey pays homage to the Traditional Owners of the land on which Phoenix plays, trains, and lives.

Designed by Stewart James, the Sydney Kings will wear a uniform acknowledging the area's Eora people.

Complimenting a deep red ochre base, the centrepiece of the Kings' jersey art is the white meeting circle, with traditional dot designs and lines starting at the neckline and reaching down to the bottom of the jersey.

The Tasmanian JackJumpers' jersey has been designed by Aunty Judith-Rose Thomas, a proud Trowoolyway woman from the Lettermariner tribe.

The jersey contains imagery representing varied aspects of both the JackJumpers organisation and local Indigenous culture, including a pair of red pyramids to represent a meeting place and blue water to represent fluid freedom to move where you need.

Complimenting the JackJumper ant is imagery of traditional Aboriginal cultural objects, such as weaved baskets, shells and a waddy (hunting club).

Indigenous designs will also feature on match basketballs and referee uniforms during NBL Indigenous round, which runs from December 8 to December 21.

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The National Indigenous Times acknowledges and pays respect to past and present Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation. We recognise Aboriginal Community's continuing connection to their lands, waters and stories and acknowledge that sovereignty has never been ceded.
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National Indigenous Times

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