Sporting salute to special week

Ceremonies, special playing shirts and Indigenous-themed food are among the celebrations at our region’s football clubs to mark NAIDOC Week (July 3-10).

For some organisations this will be a sporting first. Others have a history of paying tribute to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Lakes FC has one of the largest celebrations planned with 20 teams - from MiniRoos (4-11 years) to Overs 30s - wearing a full NAIDOC playing strip this weekend.

There will be arts, crafts, competitions and Indigenous food at the canteen, as well as a smoking ceremony at 5.30pm between the Under 23 and Senior Men’s FQPL3 matches.

The Lakes will also host the First Nationals Indigenous Football Cup on November 3-5 with open men, women and youth competitions, workshops, stalls and family fun day.

Moreton Bay United and Albany Creek Excelsior (ACE) will, for the first time, have senior men’s and women’s teams wearing Indigenous playing shirts.

Both clubs have players and families which identify as Indigenous and will be wearing the special shirts for this weekend’s Indigenous Round of NPLW and FQPL matches.

“I have never been at a club that's done this,” Jets’ Tanesha Stanley, feature picture, a descendent from the Wakka Wakka, Gungarri and Kamilario people, said.

“It’s really good to see football get on board with it. I love them.”

Stanley also played for Sunshine Coast Goannas in Sunday's Reconciliation Cup match against an FQPL3 Sunshine Coast Women's All-Star team. Goannas won 3-0.

Peninsula Power’s Senior Men will be wearing a new NAIDOC playing strip this weekend when an Acknowledge of Country will be played on a big screen.

Power’s women - whose top scorer is Kirrily Phillips, the Australian Indigenous Koalas captain – will also be wearing an Indigenous match strip and possibly a special warm-up top.

The club, which provides opportunities to First Nations players, has also helped Jacintha Mison and JB Talbot-Cooke join from Darwin and Far North Queensland respectively.

Redcliffe legends such as Arthur Beetson, Kevin Yow Yeh and the McGrady brothers, Aaron Barba and Joe Bond were honoured when Dolphins wore Indigenous tops for the Hostplus Cup match up at Brisbane Tigers on Sunday.

It was a copy of the memorable 2013 Indigenous jersey worn by a team that included Petero Civoniceva, Cameron Cullen and Liam Georgetown.

The ‘Fishing Trip’ artwork that inspired the jersey was commissioned from Queensland Indigenous artist Charlie Chambers.