Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Football Club has revealed its highly anticipated 2024 Indigenous jumper, designed by Gomeroi man Kayleb Waters, a storyteller, artist, and cultural mentor from the Aboriginal community of Walhallow. Greater Western Sydney Unveils 2024 Indigenous Jumper Designed by Kayleb Waters
The 25-year-old, who is also a member of the Gomeroi Dance Company, is known for running cultural workshops and programs across New South Wales. His design for the GWS Indigenous jumper is titled “Maaluga Ngarriylanha,” which means ‘sitting as one’, symbolizing unity and the club’s commitment to reconciliation and moving forward together.
Waters expressed his excitement about seeing his design come to life, stating, “I was speechless when I received the images of the completed jumper, I couldn’t be happier. To have my design come to life is something I couldn’t have ever imagined because it gives everyone a chance to not only represent the design, and for it to be showcased on this level, but to be heard and listened to.”
He emphasized the importance of learning about country, caring for it, and loving it, stating, “The more we learn about country, the more we care for it, and the more we care, the more we love – we can’t love something if we know nothing about it.”
GWS released a statement on their website detailing the design of the jumper. It features an artistic kangaroo/bandaar inside the trademark ‘G’ on the front, symbolizing the strength and patience needed as a nation to move forward as one. The circular shapes and linework represent mother earth’s wisdom, knowledge, and connection to country, while the orange circles symbolize communities gathering and sitting as one.
Furthermore, the tracks and grids on the jumper represent the path the Giants are taking with local communities to build connections and relationships. The club will wear the jumper in Round 10 against the Western Bulldogs and again in Round 11 against Geelong.
GWS currently has two Indigenous players – Toby Bedford and Harry Rowston – on their AFL list. Bedford, who joined the club from Melbourne at the end of the 2022 season, has played 27 games for the Giants, while 19-year-old Harry Rowston is in his second year at the club after playing seven games in 2023.
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Source: https://nit.com.au/09-05-2024/11281/maaluga-ngarriylanha-the-story-behind-gws-indigenous-jumper
