The round will recognise the Yorta Yorta country on which LGFNC plays and gathers, and also celebrate the contribution of Indigenous players past and present.
Wollithiga man of the Yorta Yorta Nation Uncle Rick Ronnan will hold a Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony prior to the Bombers’ match against Colbinabbin on Saturday.
LGFNC vice-president Matthew Hawken said the round would be an opportunity to recognise the local Indigenous heritage.
“For our area, there is such culture richness,” Hawken said.
“We have all this rich history, and a lot of people might not know about it. We want to start those conversations and make people more aware of that history.
“We have had some fantastic Indigenous players represent Leitchville, Gunbower and Leitchville-Gunbower and we want to recognise their contribution to the club as well.”
The round is about more than football and netball, and Hawken said he hoped it would inspire people in the community to learn more about its Indigenous history.
“I think it will be a really good experience for that next generation. A lot of this history was never told previously,” Hawken said.
“It’s important to start the conversation and to understand that history and the natural areas.
“Certainly, in my time through school I didn’t hear any of this local history, so it is nice to find out more and more all the time. Hopefully it generates that greater thirst to learn more and more.”
The Bombers will wear special football jumpers and netball bibs on Saturday, designed by Wollithiga woman Aunty Neva Takele.
“We have a fantastic jumper that has been designed by Aunty Neva that tells a lot of that story of our local history,” Hawken said.
“The story is about Gunbower and Leitchville communities coming together for their football netball club and the jumper depicts that coming together.”
The design, titled Leitchy Gunny Dreaming, was inspired by Kow Swamp (Ghow Swamp in Yorta language) — a traditional meeting place that is significant for its ceremonial and sacred burial grounds.
“Kow Swamp was a meeting place for a lot of clans on Yorta Yorta country. The story is about Gunbower and Leitchville communities coming together for their football netball club and the jumper depicts that coming together,” Hawken said.
The jumper features two long-necked turtles at the swamp, signifying the coming together of Leitchville and Gunbower. The long-necked turtle is also the totem of Yorta Yorta.
Colbinabbin will also wear its club’s Indigenous jumpers and netball bibs to recognise the occasion.
The initial planning for the round started in early 2020, with the aim to organise it for the 2021 season.
LGFNC said it hoped it would become an annual event that can assist in growing the importance of education and understanding of our rich Indigenous culture and history.
LGFNC members Sallie Hawken and Uncle Howard Armstrong have worked closely together to initiate and plan the round to ensure that it recognises the importance of Indigenous culture and develops greater community awareness on our history.
The Heathcote District League does not hold a league-wide Indigenous round, but other HDL clubs have held their own Indigenous matches in the past.
Hawken said he hoped to see the league hold an Indigenous round in the future.
“Going forward we are certainly a club that would like the league to recognise an Indigenous round. I think every club has a rich history, but ours is very, very strong,” he said.
“It’s a real opportunity for everyone to learn more about our history. Some of them are difficult conversations, but they need to be had and I think the community needs to know their history.”
On the field, the games themselves could have a big impact on the finals with four rounds left to play in the HDFNL.
On the netball court, the Bombers will be hoping for a win against fourth-placed Colbinabbin to keep their finals hopes alive.
LG is currently just one game outside the top five and are two wins behind Colbo, but with tough games against White Hills and Elmore still to come, Saturday will be one of its best chances to make ground on the teams above them.
On the football field, the Bombers will be hoping to disrupt the Hoppers’ hopes of a top-two finish.
Colbinabbin sits in third place, two points behind top sides LBU and Mount Pleasant.
LG will be hoping for a four-quarter performance on Saturday afternoon. The Bombers were in the contest against both Mounts and North Bendigo, but second-half collapses saw the scoreline blow out on both occasions.
The Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony will be held at 2pm prior to the senior match, with Auskickers to join the players out on the field.
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