THIS Saturday, when the Magpies travel to Port Pirie to face the Crows in the SANFL Showdown, they will don a specially designed Indigenous guernsey to celebrate SANFL Indigenous Round and NAIDOC Week.

The unique jumper is a variant design of Sam Powell-Pepper’s striking Indigenous guernsey that the Power have showcased across Australia and internationally three times already this season – in Tasmania versus Hawthorn, in China versus St Kilda and most recently at Adelaide Oval against Geelong.

Powell-Pepper, a proud Wadjuk & Ballardong man, said he was proud to have the opportunity to design the jumper and also of the work the club’s Aboriginal programs do in the community.

“I feel so fortunate to be at the Port Adelaide Football Club and to have been asked to design a guernsey that represents how I feel about the club,” Powell-Pepper told portadelaidefc.com.au.

“I am very proud of the work we do in the community and the barriers we are breaking down between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.”

The midfield bull was also excited that all of his teammates would now have the chance to wear his jumper design.

“All the boys are proud of me and they love all the design. I’m getting pretty good feedback,” Powell-Pepper said.

“They’re all pretty proud of me stepping out of my comfort zone and doing something like this. It’s pretty cool.”

The design of the jumper represents the Port Adelaide Football Club as a whole. The images at the left of the design reflect the eight Aboriginal players and the eight Aboriginal staff at Port Adelaide in 2019, while 46 white dots have been placed over the heart and represent the entire playing group.

The bottom circle represents Alberton Oval, our heartland and where all of our staff work to support the players to live out a dream of playing AFL football and representing this great club; a club that is steeped in history and has been a pioneer in welcoming Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and culture.

Across the top and winding down the guernsey are the waters that flow at the Port River and the importance this water has had for the Port Adelaide community for many years, particularly the Kaurna people for whom this land traditionally belongs.

Lastly, the tracks that cover the bottom of the guernsey are in honour of the best members and supporters in sport and who continue to support and cheer us on as we represent Port Adelaide in the sporting arena.

Both Magpie and Power Indigenous guernseys are available for purchase at the Port Store.