Coinciding with National Reconciliation Week, the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN) First Nations Round took place in Rounds 11 and 12 of the competition, honouring and celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures throughout the two weeks.
We asked some Shooting Stars participants and ambassadors to share what First Nations Round means to them:
“I think it’s good that they have it so more people can see our culture and can embrace it more, you know, so that it can get more known, Aboriginal culture, it’s not that well-known.”
– Sarah Pickett, year 8 Shooting Stars participant, Kiara College
“I think it’s celebrating culture, you know, like this is the oldest culture in the world, um and for us to have our specially designed dress, to go out and wear that, it’s something pretty special, I know all the girls on the team feel that as well and we really represent that and feel that as a club so it’s not just us, um, it’s all of Fever here, um the fans get behind it too and it’s always just special and a great day for us.”
– Verity Simmons, West Coast Fever
“I feel that I’m supported, they recognise us and they celebrate us, which I feel is good. And it’s different people you know, not just Aboriginal and Torres Strait people, it’s everyone celebrating us and I feel like that’s really cool.”
– Jordan Gray, year 10 Shooting Stars participant, Whyalla Secondary College
“To represent our longest living culture… it’s just a beautiful round, it’s beautiful to have … Shooting Stars girls down, supporting us, seeing [them] in the crowd. And the lead-up to it – doing the dress blessing, having the girls here in training for leadership camp – I think it’s all-encompassing and it’s just a fantastic round that the whole group here at West Coast Fever love celebrating.”
– Courtney Bruce, West Coast Fever
This year, First Nations Round aligned with two Shooting Stars leadership camps, meaning participants were able to attend games in both weeks.
The girls from Whyalla Secondary College who were on the Adelaide Leadership Camp attended the Thunderbirds home game, witnessing a tight one-point win against West Coast Fever.
The following week, Senior Leadership Camp took place in Perth, attended by participants from several Shooting Stars sites. The last night of the camp coincided with West Coast Fever’s home-game clash with the Sunshine Coast Lightning. The participants in attendance were guests at the VIP pre-game function, along with many other Shooting Stars guests, including multiple corporate partners. Participants, Keely and Zakira along with Pathways Coordinator, Rokiyah Bin Swani, spoke on stage for a Q&A session, sharing their Shooting Stars experiences with the room.
As Fever’s charity partner, Shooting Stars was the match-day partner of the First Nations Round home game, and we were given platforms to shine throughout the evening. The girls took part in a Welcome to Country on the court, joining Dr Richard Walley, Jayden Boundry and the Ngalak Nija Dancers. Some of the girls and staff members returned to the court to participate in the ¾ time activation, and from the crowd, the girls were spotted on the big screen at several points throughout the match.
It was a huge evening, with Fever celebrating Alice Teague-Neeld’s 100th game, Jhaniele Fowler’s 5000th goal and a four-goal win against the Sunshine Coast. And of course, the players were proudly wearing their First Nations Round dresses, which were designed by Noongar artists, Peter Farmer and Kylie Graham.
We are excited to announce that once again, we will be auctioning a West Coast Fever First Nations Round dress in a few weeks’ time. Stay tuned for more details if you are interested in bidding!
