In collaboration with Moama Bowling Club and Intersport Echuca, the Rockets will don new tailor-made Indigenous jerseys for the carnival, as well as play with AFL Sir Doug Nicholls Round replica balls.
The aim of the initiative is to raise awareness of the Rockets’ Indigenous players and Indigenous members of the community and to give the players a chance to participate in a storied tradition in the AFL.
“What we wanted to do was give our players the opportunity to wear and represent the Indigenous communities we have here and, in the AFL, as well,” Echuca-Moama Rockets treasurer Ross Whelan said.
“Because our players see their heroes in the AFL and local sports play in Indigenous rounds, we wanted to make sure they get that same opportunity and to bring awareness to our own Indigenous players and our local community.
“The awareness and input over the years has been big, and it is great we can acknowledge them in this way.”
The Indigenous jerseys the Rockets will wear were designed by former Njernda Aboriginal Corporation director Aunty Neeva Atkinson and Indigenous artist Dede Atkinson.
The Rockets currently have five players of Indigenous backgrounds out of the 30 that play.
“Another one of the teams participating in the carnival has also ordered Indigenous jumpers, so we are trying to make this an awareness round; Aunty Neeva will come to the day and do an introduction as well,” Whelan said.
“Aunty Neeva and Dede did an incredible job on the jumpers and the amount of work they put into it.
“Over the years, we’ve had a fair few Indigenous players in our history, and currently we have five, so it’s good for them to get acknowledgement.”
The carnival will be a round-robin tournament at Echuca South Recreation Reserve with six teams involved: North Albury, Wodonga, Wangaratta, Benalla, Shepparton and the Rockets.
The Rockets, as the home side, will play four games, with the other teams playing three.
Whelan emphasised the Rockets’ excitement about the carnival and how important it was for the players to socialise and play the sport they love.
“Every carnival is an exciting time for our players; they love their football and being able to get out there and have a touch of the football,” he said.
“It’s very inclusive, we are hoping that everybody gets a touch of the football at some point throughout the day — the scores are irrelevant.
“Some of our players live, breathe and eat football, that’s all they talk about leading up to it, they love coming out to training on a Wednesday and the social aspect of it.
“It’s a matter of just getting them out there and having some fun.”
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