The guernsey is designed by Larrakia artist Trent Lee and will be worn for two matches in the Top End against North Melbourne on Saturday, May 9 and to open Sir Doug Nicholls Round against Geelong on Thursday, May 16.
The guernsey is one of two Indigenous designs to be worn throughout Sir Doug Nicholls Rounds in 2024 with the SUNS also unveiling its 2024 Indigenous Guernsey, designed by Yugambeh and Bundjalung artists Christine Slabb and Kyle Slabb.
The Indigenous guernsey will be worn in Round 11 against Carlton at Marvel Stadium. It’s the first time the SUNS will have a unified Indigenous design with the club’s AFLW squad to also wear the jumper during the 2024 AFLW season.
The Darwin/Larrakia design features two predominant elements. The SUN design symbolises the iconic sunset at Darwin’s Mindil Beach, which is recognised worldwide and holds a special story to the Larrakia people.
The design also features the Rainbow Serpent, the dreaming and creator of life that has created the earth and the lands that the SUNS will play on in Darwin.
Larrakia artist Trent Lee says he was honoured to have been asked to design the guernsey.
“I wanted to connect the design to the creation story so it was important to make sure that was at the forefront, alongside the iconic sunset at Mindil Beach,” Lee said.
“When (SUNS Life Member & Indigenous Programs Lead) Jarrod Harbrow asked me to design the guernsey, I was honoured. It’s been enjoyable to design past guernseys in collaboration, but it was a proud moment when I was asked to design this jumper.”
The SUNS currently have 10 players on its AFL and AFLW lists with connections to the Northern Territory.
The Indigenous Guernsey is inspired by Garrara, the language name of a long lagoon that ran south to north along what is today known as the Gold Coast.
Represented by the feather motifs are Bilin-Bilin (rainbow lorikeet), Dun-Dun (swamp pheasant) and Mibin (eagle).
Ancestors of kinship groups are represented by the human-like figures. The circular symbols represent the sacred and cultural camps that local Aboriginal people inhabit and maintain while the background represented the vast space of the once large lagoon.
“The inspiration of the design is the story of the land on which the club’s home (People First Stadium) sits and where the SUNS play its home matches,” Christine Slabb said.
“We wanted to make sure that the story was connected through the design.”
“Both Kyle and I have collaborated previously, but it was a new opportunity to collaborate together on a SUNS guernsey for the first time.”
Limited stock of both Darwin and Indigenous guernseys are available through the SUNS Shop.
