FOR THE first time, AFL umpires will wear themed uniforms to mark Indigenous Round.
Each club will wear an indigenous-themed guernsey for the second straight year (see below).
Several clubs will be sporting new designs this season.
Indigenous artist Saretta Fielding based the umpires’ shirt design on her artwork ‘Nakiliko – See’.
She had been invited by not-for-profit group One Sight to create a design related to her local culture and that showed the importance of vision for the indigenous community.
“Nakiliko reflects the value placed on sight or seeing in both a physical and spiritual sense by our people,” Fielding said.
“The story is representative of a figure engraved in rock on the ‘map site’ found at Mount Yengo (in NSW), a special ceremonial meeting place in our country for the Wanaruah and surrounding tribal groups.”
One Sight and umpires’ sponsor OPSM work together on a national indigenous eye care program, improving eye health access to indigenous communities in remote and disadvantaged areas.
Below: check out the jumpers each team will be wearing this weekend as part of Indigenous Round
