The Gold Coast SUNS will proudly don its 2026 Indigenous Guernsey across Rounds 3 and 4 of the NAB AFLW season, honouring the past and present First Nations SUNS that have shaped and strengthened our club and game.
The guernsey, designed by Kombumerri artist Lann Levinge, was first unveiled by the SUNS AFL squad earlier during Sir Doug Nicholls Round, marking the 2026 season as the third time the Gold Coast SUNS have worn a unified design across both AFL and AFLW programs.
StreetSmarts SUNS Academy graduate and proud Ait Koedal SUN, Heidi Talbot, will be eyeing an opportunity to celebrate her Torres Strait Islander heritage this Sunday, against Geelong, before the SUNS take on Yartapuulti next Saturday.
Having worked with the Gold Coast SUNS on a number of projects, including our indigenous literacy Yalgan Sun, Levinge was delighted to continue Wulabora - the gift and exchange of knowledge and connection - this AFLW season.
“I’m very proud and I feel very privileged to be able to share the Kombumerri stories,” Levinge told SUNS media.
“It’s important that we share our culture. We get to share our culture through our art. We get to tell our story through this (guernsey). It's a simple way to do it but it’s the best way to do it.
“We didn't write things down. We spoke through storytelling. We spoke through song and dance. And that's what most of us are out there doing every day, sharing those stories.
The culturally rich artwork depicts the Kombumerri Dreamtime Story of creation in Jellurgal (Burleigh Heads) a central place for the Kombumerri people and the same lands several SUNS talents grew up playing junior football and currently reside on.
“Jabreen rests at Jellurgal, his rocky fingers focused skyward, overseeing the creatures, land, ocean and waterways of our chagun (country), the place we now know as the Gold Coast,” Levinge described.
“The Kombumerri people, the saltwater people, the oyster people, especially the Levinge family are represented by the series of coloured oval shapes layered and placed central to the hand of Jabreen, our creation being. The energy of the sun at its centre. To the west the celestial fire sits high surrounded by fearless GC SUNS warriors who are showered by the light and love of our sun and spirit of place.
“The sand goanna slowly meanders across the shifting sands of beautiful Currigee on South Stradbroke Island, leaving a clear and distinct trail as he moves from place to place alongside the pathways and journeys of many who now call the Gold Coast home.”
Names of past and present GC SUNS Indigenous AFLW players feature on the design including, Kitara Whap-Farrar (Wagadagam; Alawa; Kidja), Paige Parker (Quandamooka), Kalinda Howarth (Yuin), Tayla Rose Thorn (Wuurji), Janet Baird (Yolngu; Tiwi; Iwaidja; Arrente; Kaytetye), Ashanti Bush (Bagala), Gabrielle Biedenweg Webster (Wiradjuri) and Heidi Talbot (Ait Koedal).
The Gold Coast SUNS football club will continue to embrace Talbot’s Torres Strait Islander culture off field, with players and staff invited to participate in traditional dancing, weaving, dressing and arts over the next week.
The 19-year-old reflected on what it means to be able to represent her family and mob so far from home.
“To share your culture with other people is pretty cool. I think people know the surface level but when you actually explain a few things they are really interested,” Talbot said.
“Harbs (Jarrod Harbrow) has been great with bringing the girls in to teach them a bit about Indigenous culture.
“It means a lot. I’m really excited.”
SUNS fans can immerse themselves in a range of Indigenous cultural activations at People First Stadium this Sunday from 2:15pm before Gold Coast take on Geelong at 3:05pm.
Secure the SUNS 2026 Indigenous Guernsey from the SUNS Shop https://shop.goldcoastfc.com.au/
