Orange Tigers Indigenous round
The Orange Tigers celebrated Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous round led by Casey Naden who was the artist behind the Tigers themed guernseys for the round.
It was the first time in the team’s 41 years the Tigers played in specially designed guernseys as the players were excited to put on a good performance in front of their home crowd.
The Tigers guernseys were very eye catching and had lots of significance, Below is the details on how Casey’s created the design.
”The 3 circles represent our people’s way of learning. As Aboriginal people we use yarning circles to share our knowledge, our experience and we learn through story telling, coming together, supporting and providing assistance. In a circle our connections can’t be broken.
The small yellow dots represent the AFL teams, our connections through sport, our supporters, our community, family and friends.
The tracks coming from each circle to represent Wiradjuri, the people of the 3 rivers.
The footprints represent being the creators of earth, our footprints have been here since the beginning of time. We have cared for the land and its up to us now to nourish and mother earth and look after her.
The goanna or in Wiradjuri, Gugaa, is the totem for the Wiradjuri nation. It is the symbol that connects all people past and present of Wiradjuri land.
The colours I have chosen to use are the colours of the Orange Tigers and the richness of our country.”
Casey Naden was at the game to give a speech about the guernsey design and also did the Welcome to Country before the Tier 1 game.
The Tier 1 game saw a comeback win from the Tigers as they were down five points going into the 4th quarter. An inspiring final term saw them defeat Dubbo Demons by five points.
The Men’s Tier 2 resulted in a 23-point victory for the Tigers over the Bathurst Bushrangers where they led from every quarter and played a impressive style of football. Two goals by Harrison Wilkman-Dean secured the win in front of the home crowd.
The Women’s Senior division saw the Tigers losing to the Bushrangers by seven points in a defensive battle that was close throughout the game. A few key missed opportunities by the Tigers saw them lose the game and drop to 4th on the ladder.
The day was full of excitement, tradition and great football. The Tigers were very appreciative to all the fans that came and supported them and were very thankful to Casey Naden for all her efforts in designing the jersey and doing the Welcome to Country speech.
Stay up to date with the latest from the competition on Triple M (105.1 Orange and 93.5 Dubbo) or via AFL Central West’s Facebook and website.
