Richmond will wear its 2022 Dreamtime jumper for Saturday afternoon’s clash against Gold Coast as part of NAIDOC Week celebrations, acknowledging the culture and history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The jumper was designed by Marlion Pickett together with his partner Jessica Nannup and it tells the story of their young family moving from Perth to Melbourne to start their Richmond journey.
Saturday’s clash is also set to be Pickett’s 50th AFL match and the first time he has worn the jumper design, having missed Dreamtime at the ‘G through suspension and the following week’s Marn Grook at the SCG game with illness.
The story on the PUMA-made jumper pays tribute to each Indigenous player at the Club and features Marlion’s family totem, The Kaarak, a red-tailed black cockatoo.
The Kaarak is seen as flying across Perth’s Swan River on the jumper, representing where Marlion and Jessica’s ancestors fought.
Noongar culture is signifcant to Richmond, with Pickett and his teammates Matthew Parker, Shai Bolton and Sydney Stack all having family ties to its customs and traditions.
Each Indigenous player is illustrated as a warrior at the bottom of the jumper and their different journeys to Richmond from all around Australia are displayed in the yellow sash, highlighting the football club as a central place where each can connect, share stories, and play football.
Gold Coast SUNS will also wear their 2022 Indigenous jumper for the clash as a mark of respect to NAIDOC Week. The 2022 NAIDOC Week theme – Get up! Stand up! Show up! – encourages all Australians to champion institutional, structural, collaborative, and cooperative change while celebrating those who have already driven and led change in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities over generations.
Indigenous Richmond players represented on the design:
Shane Edwards (Arrernte)
Daniel Rioli (Tiwi Islands)
Maurice Rioli Junior (Tiwi Islands)
Matthew Parker (Noongar/Yuet)
Shai Bolton (Noongar)
Sydney Stack (Noongar)
Marlion Pickett (Noongar)
Rhyan Mansell (Palawa)
