THE Manning Rippers Football Club will pay homage to its Indigenous players when it plays in a special outfit in its home game against Piara Waters on May 27.
Following discussions with some of the Aboriginal leaders at the club, they will wear an Indigenous guernsey that takes into account the heritage of the players.
Player Daniel Evans said each of the Indigenous players was able to add their own touch to the jersey.
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READ NOW“We come from different regions and tribes so we were able to add something from our cultures to the jersey,” he said.
“I feel very proud to be able to wear the jersey and I’m appreciative of the club to do something like this.”
Manning Rippers stalwart Anton Ferrari said when the playing group approached the club with the idea of having an Indigenous jumper he was straight on board.
“It was apparent straight from the get go that this player led initiative was the right thing to do, it was what the boys wanted to do to celebrate the Aboriginal culture and we couldn’t be more proud of not just the outcome but the meaning and overall message behind the initiative,” he said.
The final design incorporates various aspects of traditional Aboriginal heritage; on the shoulders of the jumper are yellow lines guided by dots on either side of it; representing the tracks left by our footprints.
The tracks are on the shoulders of the jumper to signify the elders who carried us on their shoulders through the early stages of our lives and at the footy club.
The three circles on the side of the jumper represents different meeting places those being; the coast, the desert and the rainforest.
The boomerangs represent war, and the fact that we go to war with our teammates every weekend when they play footy.
The Dhari just below the jumper’s collar is a traditional headdress of the Torres Straight Islanders with the five-point star representing the five main islands in the area.
Finally, the dot painting within the lion’s head represents the Indigenous culture coming into the club, coming into the hearts and minds of all who wear the jumper, with the lion being the traditional mascot of the Manning Rippers.
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