Adelaide Crows Football Club - Womens AFL Uniform Design

I had the opportunity to design the Adelaide Crows football club Indigenous guernsey alongside Andrew McLeod.

The indigenous guernsey was worn by the club in the historic first season on the AFL women's competition.

The guernsey was worn by players at two away matches and all home games in Darwin, it was intended to celebrate the clubs partnership with the Northern Territory.

Andrew initially provided rough sketches and brief information to create artwork from.

Andrew McLeod explains the Indigenous guernsey design:

“At the centre of the guernsey is a sun – the sun mother is the giver of life, nurturer and educator, she give us strength and courage. The sun mother comforts and keeps us warm, she guides us and is someone we draw strength from.

The claws of the Crow wrapped around the sides of the guernsey represent a mother’s hug.

The design inside the blue claw is island matting, symbolising a meeting place, a location where we can come together and feel safe.

Inside the red claw represents the two moieties (moieties means half) of Yolngu culture, Dhuwa and Yirritja. Everything (people, plants, animals, winds) is connected and comes together through these two holistic world views and have for tens of thousands of years.

The yellow claw design is a dilly bag (made from pandanus leaves) intertwined like family. Dilly bags are used to transport food or other important tools to be used for hunting and gathering.

The crocodile and barramundi are synonymous with the Northern Territory.

The female crocodile is moving forward creating a path for others to follow. Female crocodiles can lay up to 50 eggs at a time, they can be very aggressive, protecting their nests and young from predators.

Saltwater barramundi are born males, when mature they transform into females. Female barramundi are protected and can produce over 30 million eggs in a year. They are a beautiful fish with their iridescent skin making them attractive to all.”