St Kilda Football Club will adopt an Indigenous guernsey designed by proud Noongar man and club legend Nicky Winmar for the second consecutive Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
The 2022 iteration of Winmar’s guernsey retains all of his artwork from last season, but is featured on a predominantly white colour backdrop as opposed to last year’s black to serve as a ‘clash’ variation of the fan-favourite design.
St Kilda’s AFLW side wore the jumper as its clash strip throughout Season 2022, even presenting a guernsey to Winmar ahead of its match with Collingwood at Victoria Park.
Winmar’s guernsey, which features traditional Indigenous splatter painting techniques, is inspired by his family, his heritage and his love of the Saints.
Two Willy Wagtails, Winmar’s family totem, feature on the front of the jumper to represent both of his late parents, alongside a silhouette of his iconic ‘I’m Black and I’m Proud’ pose from his immortal stand at Victoria Park in 1993.
An outline of his hands have also been imprinted on the back of the guernsey to represent teamwork and symbolise how he will always have the Saints’ back.
First-year Saint Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, who inherited Winmar’s iconic No. 7 in his debut season, said he was humbled to wear a design so significant to the club and Indigenous community.
“It means so much to not only be wearing Nicky's number, but also the guernsey he designed. It's really special,” Wanganeen-Milera said.
“Being part of such a large and tight-knit group of Indigenous players at the Saints is awesome and has definitely made my transition into the club a lot easier.
"I'm sure we'll all be doing everything we can to get picked in the Sir Doug Nicholls Round teams so we can run out in this kit."
Winmar’s legacy continues to live on at St Kilda almost 30 years after his courageous actions at Victoria Park.
The feature-length documentary The Ripple Effect, centring on the St Kilda great’s stand against racism in 1993, was awarded the Best Depiction of Inclusive Sport at the 2021 Sport Australia Media Awards. A condensed version of the film has been used alongside the affiliated program Point + Be Proud, which aims to educate the next generation about the ongoing impacts of racism on Indigenous mental health and wellbeing.
Point + Be Proud recently completed its pilot phase and will deliver sessions at the Danny Frawley Centre for Health & Wellbeing over the coming months.
A mural of Winmar from that unforgettable moment in 1993 has also been installed at RSEA Park outside the club’s yawa, or ‘journey’ room; a recent addition which houses a portrait of every Indigenous player to represent the club and a ‘mob map’ to show where each has come from.
An artwork of nine gurrill feathers placed by Indigenous Development Manager Aunty Katrina Amon also hangs in the yawa room to represent the nine Indigenous players on St Kilda’s list this season.
The 2022 Sir Doug Nicholls Round will be held over Rounds 10 and 11, with St Kilda to face Adelaide and North Melbourne on Kaurna and Wurundjeri land respectively.
Click here to purchase your 2022 Sir Doug Nicholls Round guernsey, designed by Nicky Winmar.
