Northies proud to wear indigenous strip

North Ballarat Football Netball Club’s senior players were proud to wear the club’s indigenous strip for the annual Doug Nicholls Round in 2023.

The jumper and netball dress were designed by Gunditjmara artist Joey Chatfield, father of current senior player Josh Chatfield. It was first worn by the club in 2022.

“The top of the design represents the nets used for hunting birds and fish,” Joey said, “The idea behind that is to hunt the opposition and have that mindset when we are playing.” On the side of the strips is a shape resembling an arc, which Joey said represents the sun. “The line running across the jumper is a war bench, a design traditionally used on shields for combat. We see the symbolism in this as we go out and compete as a club.” Two “u” shapes at the bottom of the designs represent senior coaches Brendan McCarney and Annical McCartin, one with a football and one with a netball beside them. “The arches on the right side of the design represent the people around the club - the coaches, the committee, the supporters and anyone else who makes the club who we are.”

Within the design, there are two sets of dots - 22 in one set and 10 in the other. They represent the 22 players in a football team and 10 players in a netball team.

There are also goanna, kangaroo and emu tracks within the design.

On the back of the jumper, within the outlines of the war bench, are footprints that represent the journey that we are all on, whether that be on the football field, the netball court or in life. That back arches again represent our people, with the four dots within the arches representing each quarter in a game.

Thanks Joey for giving us a design that speaks to who we are as a club. We certainly do wear it with pride.

North Ballarat Football Netball Club acknowledges its plays on lands traditionally owned by the Wadawurrung people and pays respects to elders past and present, and in particular to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have been associated with our club.