This weekend, the Hampden Football Netball League will celebrate Indigenous Round — a special occasion that honors the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to our games of football and netball. Clubs will don specially designed Indigenous jumpers and netball bibs that reflect and celebrate culture, connection, and community. Those hosting matches will also commemorate the round with additional tributes and acknowledgements, further strengthening the bond between local sport and Indigenous heritage. Below are some of the club’s football and netball bibs that will be worn, which is accompanied by the story of the designs
South Warrnambool
Artist: Stephanie Thompson (Nee Clarke) – Kirrae Gunditj Art
Football Jumper and Netball Dress/Bib Story
Country Meets the Sea
On the lands of the Gunditjmara, where the rolling plains meet the vast ocean, the stories of past and present intertwine.
Kangaroo footprints scatter across the earth, a reminder of the land’s connection to its people and the native animals that called South Warrnambool home. Their tracks speak of journeys taken long before today—of survival, community, and the unbreakable bond
between Country and those who walk upon it.
Flowing from the land towards the sea, squiggly lines ripple like rivers winding through Country,
carrying stories to the deep blue.
Dotted patterns dance along these waters, echoing the songlines that have guided generations. Here, the land and sea are not separate but woven together, each dependent on the other, just as the people are connected through culture, sport, and kinship.
At the heart of this place lies a sacred gathering ground—the football and netball club, represented
by a central circle. More than just a field, it is a meeting place, where the community comes
together in spirit and competition. It is where cheers ring out, where battles are fought not with
weapons but with skill and determination, and where victories are celebrated together, win or lose.
Encircling the club, small circles represent the children, the future of the community. They watch,
they learn, they grow—dreaming of the day they will take their place in the teams, their footsteps
merging with those who came before them. They are the beating heart of tomorrow, nurtured by
the strength of today.
Beyond them, forming the outer ring, stand the men and women who play for the South Warrnambool Football Netball Club (SWFNC). Warriors of the game, they embody resilience, teamwork, and pride. They run across the field and court, carrying not only the ball but also the hopes of their people. Their strength is drawn from more than just training—it is drawn from
Country, from family, from the stories written in the land beneath their feet.
Together, land and sea, past and future, players and supporters—all are part of the same great
story.
This is Country meeting the sea, community meeting strength, and culture standing tall in the face of time.
Hamilton Kangaroos
Artist – Saige Bell – Yuuitch Peetch Yakeen
This jersey tells a powerful story of connection — to land, animals, and people.
At its heart, the Koorrayn/ Kangaroo stands as a symbol of strength, resilience, and
survival. Aligned with the Kangaroo is a boomerang that was traditionally used as a
weapon against the Koorrayn, and this resembles how the club, and the teams face
opponents and target success. Just as the Kangaroo moves forward and never
backwards, it reflects the spirit of the community: always growing, always enduring, and
always moving ahead together. These are the same values that live within the club.
The circular shapes woven throughout the design represent unity and the coming
together of people. In Indigenous culture, circles often symbolise meeting places and
shared journeys. Here, they reflect the tight-knit relationships within the club — players,
coaches, families, and supporters all coming together as one.
The footprints represent how the Hamilton Kangaroos were formed by the gathering of
two previous clubs.
Every symbol on the jersey is a reminder of the bonds within the team and the wider
community. It’s a celebration of where they’ve come from, who they are, and the shared
journey ahead.
This isn’t just a jersey — it’s a story worn with pride.
