Tarkyn Tallon Rosas, Antwan Huddleston, Hurra Hudson and Levi Christophersen in the football jumpers they designed
The story behind the jumpers Whenever possible, despite the lockdowns in Semester One, Levi Christophersen, Phillip Cooper, Antwan Huddleston, Hurra Hudson and Tarkyn Tallon Rosas met regularly after school to work on their design for Trinity’s 2021 Indigenous Round jumpers. These would be worn by the First Football, Hockey, Rugby and Soccer teams in the Indigenous Round of the interschool sport season. In the first session the boys didn’t know where to start because they wanted to capture the whole school in one design. Following lots of discussion, they decided to use three waterholes on the chest to represent the Senior School, the Junior School and the Bulleen Playing Fields, with the lines between each waterhole symbolising the waterways and connection between the three places. It was also important that, within the design, each boy was represented through their totems.
Antwan’s totem, the pheasant, can be seen on the right. The pheasant is commonly found in the Northern Territory, the land of Antwan’s father, a Jawoyn man. The emu on the left is from Tarkyn’s Dreaming and it is from his dad’s side of the family. The emu is a large bird that cannot fly but it can run really fast. Many people hunt them but it’s forbidden for Tarkyn’s family because it can make them really sick. Phillip Cooper’s totem is an Namarrgon, also known as the soul taker. This totem is like an urban legend that comes out at night and tries take you away or cut off your tongue when you whistle at night. Our Elders hunt it away by making a lot of noise – they might bang against a wall or sing a cultural song. This totem travels around Arhnem Land where Phillip comes from, the land of the Iwaidja mob and Gunwinggu tribe.
The turtle on this jumper represents James Arnall and Hurra Hudson. The long-necked turtle is local to the area of Hurra’s mum’s side up in Echuca and it is also the totem for many other Aboriginal clans. The boys wanted to acknowledge that there have been many others before them in Trinity’s Dadirri program, and the lily pads on the jumper represent the Indigenous students who preceded Levi and Tarkyn at Trinity. Whilst they are no longer at the school, it was important that they were represented. The kangaroo footprints are symbolic of the journey the boys are on and the Aboriginal warrior on the back of the jumper represents the Trinity community as warriors. Chris Johnson Head of the Dadirri Boarding House and Head of the Indigenous Student Program
October 2021 | 7
