Sir Doug Nicholls Round continues across the SFNL this weekend, with two Division 2 clubs set to mark the occasion through Indigenous guernseys carrying strong meaning.
For Doveton, the round will be celebrated on the traditional lands of the Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, with the Doves wearing a guernsey first designed in 2016 by Jenna George.
Jenna, whose traditional Indigenous name is Watarang, meaning platypus, was just 16 when she designed the guernsey for the Doveton Football Netball Club. A proud Wurundjeri girl who grew up in Melbourne’s south-east, Jenna’s connection to the club runs deeply, with her father, uncle and great uncle all having played football at Doveton.
Her family are also descendants of William Barak, the respected Wurundjeri leader and artist, whose work helped inspire the design.
The guernsey centres around the Doveton football ground, with the central oval representing the club’s home. The U shapes around the ground represent the men and women who gather each week to watch the football, while the five lines entering and leaving the oval represent the various mobs who have played at Doveton across the years, including the Terrick, Charles and Walker families.
The design is a celebration of the club’s long relationship with the local Indigenous community, and the sense of belonging created through football and netball.
Hampton will also wear a guernsey rich in meaning, as the Hammers recognise the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land their ground sits on.
Designed by renowned Indigenous artist Alex Kerr, the Hammers’ Indigenous guernsey is being worn by the side for the third season. The design includes wave lines representing the Birrarung, the Yarra River, and references the meeting places where people from different backgrounds come together through football.
The traditional stone axe included in the design also plays on the word “hammer”, reinforcing the message behind the jumper, which is about coming together as one club and one mob, both on and off the field.
On the field, both clubs also have plenty to play for.
Doveton, currently sitting sixth in Division 2, will host Frankston Dolphins at Robinson Reserve on Saturday afternoon, with the Doves looking to keep themselves right in the mix as the season begins to take shape.
Hampton, sitting just ahead in fifth, will also be looking to make the most of the occasion when they host Chelsea Heights at Peterson Street Reserve.
With both sides placed around the middle of a competitive Division 2 ladder, this weekend’s matches carry meaning beyond the occasion itself, as two proud clubs celebrate culture, community and connection while chasing important premiership points.
