Southport Sharks Indigenous jumper to honour club's core value of unity

Jackson Clark Published May 20, 2024 at 4.00pm (AWST)

sport

Southport Sharks players Matt McGuinness and Ryan Banks-Smith in the club's Indigenous jumper. (Image: Southport Sharks)

Southport Sharks are one of a handful of VFL and VFLW clubs adopting special Indigenous jumpers for Sir Doug Nicholls Round across the next fortnight.

The Sharks' jumper was designed by retired QAFLW player Lateesha Jeffrey – a proud Woolwonga and Kukatj woman who was raised on Larrakia and Yolngu land.

Lateesha is the brother of emerging Gold Coast Suns talent Joel Jeffrey. She said that the concept behind her design was to ensure that the elements of the jumper were aligned with the Sharks' core value of unity.

"To acknowledge and celebrate Indigenous Round, I wanted to highlight a value at Southport that I feel deeply resonates with many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people," Jeffrey said via a club statement.

"I didn't want to move away from the Sharks colours because that is who we are and what we play for.

"The dots represent the players at Southport Sharks – although they come from different backgrounds, when we pull that guernsey on, we are one club.

"The same concept was used for the shark design, where all the dots represent the players, coaches and club officials, all of whom form the shark."

*The Southport Sharks will wear an Indigenous jumper across the next fortnight for Sir Doug Nicholls Round. (Image: Southport Sharks)*

Sharks player and Palawa man Matt McGuinness said that it is a 'very special jumper'.

"I really like the meaning behind the dots and the combination of all three times – VFL, QAFLW seniors and QAFLW reserves – to form the powerful shark," McGuinness said.

Fellow Palawa man Ryan Banks-Smith said that he was 'honoured' to wear the jumper.

"I can't wait to run out on Sir Doug Nicholls Round with Matt, who is my best mate, to represent the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community," he said.

The Sharks also donned the special jumper in the QAFLW competition with proud Bundjalung woman, Lillian Behan saying the jumper and round was very special to her.

"Every round you want to represent your team and club, but this week is particularly special because it's a chance to represent our culture and family," Behan said.

Many of the VFL clubs adopted the same strip as their AFL affiliated club, while fellow standalone team Werribee donned a design that was created in 2022 by Noongar woman Kirby Bentley.

The design has represented the land (leaves), water (blue lines), meeting places (circles in circles), people and elders (arches in double arches).