The Western Magpies Senior side will play in a guernsey designed by the Indigenous players at the club when the Pies play Mt Gravatt at McCarthy Homes Oval at Chelmer on Sunday. The Magpies elected to play in an Indigenous designed guernsey to celebrate the start of NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee) Week which starts on Sunday and runs until July 15.

The guernsey was designed with input from many of the Pies current Indigenous players and ex-players.

Senior Magpies player Anthony Corrie was keen on the Pies having a specially designed guernsey with indigenous themes to honour both the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to unite all Australians whatever their background. The guernsey is white with black indigenous themes from both Aboriginal and Torres Strait cultures and is highlighted with a beautiful magpie in the centre of the guernsey. The front of the guernsey has aboriginal themed art and the back shows Torres Strait Island themes including a Dhari that is also part of the Torres Strait Island flag.. Corrie had input into the design of the the guernsey from fellow indigenous players Chris Hunt, Aaron Maricic,  and ex-Pies Best and Fairest winner Dean Parkin also acted as an adviser with long time Magpie player/volunteer/coach/trainer Wil Ivinson

Sunday’s match will be preceded by a “Welcome to Country” by traditional custodian of the land Uncle Des Sandy and then there will be a “Smoking Ceremony” conducted by Greg Duncan, also a traditional custodian of the land. The ceremony will be held on Powenyenna Oval at Chelmer.  There will also be traditional dance during the day.

The ceremonies have been co-ordinated by Wil Ivinson,  who played for the Western Magpies in the early 2000s, has been involved in coaching Colts, played many games for the Woodsmen, was also a long term trainer for the Pies and is a current junior coach.  In the theme of the day, Wil has both Aboriginal and Islander blood with his mother  from the Wakka Wakka tribe whose traditional lands were from just north of Brisbane up to the Gayndah area and his father also having both Aboriginal and Islander heritage with his ancestors from the Murrinh Patha tribe from near Wadeye in the NT and from Mer Island (Murray Is)  in the Torres Strait.  

Anthony Corrie grew up in the NT in Darwin and his heritage is both Aboriginal and Islander with his mother from Badu Island in Torres Strait and his father from the Warlpiri tribe of Central Australia near Yuendemu west of Alice Springs. 

Aaron Maricic has Torres Strait Islander heritage with his mother from the Torres Strait. His maternal grandmother was from Mer (Murray) Island and his maternal grandfather from Saibai Island. 

Chris Hunt has Torres Strait Islander Heritage from his mother who is from Thursday Island.

Logan Murray’s heritage is from the Ngaro tribe of his father. The Ngaro tribe occupied the country around the Whitsundays.

Noah Resuggan’s  heritage is from the Tobwabba trribe of his mother, which occupied lands around Taree north of Newcastle. 

 NAIDOC Week is an important week on the Australian Calendar, celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

NAIDOC originally stood for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’. This committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has since become the name of the week itself. Find out more about the origins and history of NAIDOC Week HERE.

Each year NAIDOC Week has a theme, and in 2018 - the theme is a beautiful phrase "Because of Her, we Can!"

As pillars of society, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have played – and continue to play - active and significant roles at the community, local, state and national levels.

As leaders, trailblazers, politicians, activists and social change advocates, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women fought and continue to fight, for justice, equal rights, rights to country, for law and justice, access to education, employment and to maintain and celebrate indigenous culture, language, music and art.

They continue to influence as doctors, lawyers, teachers, electricians, chefs, nurses, architects, rangers, emergency and defence personnel, writers, volunteers, chief executive officers, actors, singer songwriters, journalists, entrepreneurs, media personalities, board members, accountants, academics, sporting icons and Olympians, the list goes on.

They are mothers, elders, grandmothers, aunties, sisters and daughters.

Sadly, Indigenous women’s role in our cultural, social and political survival has often been invisible, unsung or diminished.

For at least 65,000 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have carried dreaming stories, songlines, languages and knowledge that have kept indigenous culture strong and enriched the oldest continuing culture on the planet.

Their achievements, their voice, their unwavering passion give strength and have empowered past generations and paved the way for generations to come.

Because of her, we can!