This year’s National NAIDOC Theme provided a winning inspiration for south-west artist Jennie Calgaret.
‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud’ was used for National NAIDOC Week in July.
The message included a call to celebrate “the unyielding spirit of our communities” while inviting people to stand in solidarity.
That resonated with Jennie, who utilised it for her winning entry in the Football West-Insurance Commission NAIDOC Ball Design competition.
“The story behind my artwork is strength and community,” she said.
“The black lines represent the strength of our people. The yellow circles represent the strength to rise each and every day. The red circles represent the blood of our ancestors who fought to remain throughout all the trials of our history.”
Jennie lives in Australind and incorporated her local area into her design.
“The blue wavy lines depict the rivers that run through Pindjarup Boodja and represent the Pindjarup people, known as the peoples of the wetlands,” she said.
Jennie’s artwork and the Belt Up road safety message will be printed on 500 Deploy T-spec footballs and unveiled during the 2025 NAIDOC Week next July.
The balls will be shared with eligible clubs, schools and community organisations around WA.
The NAIDOC Ball Design competition is a key component of the long-standing partnership between Football West and the Insurance Commission of Western Australia. It is open to members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and celebrates indigenous art while reminding all motorists to wear a seatbelt when travelling on WA roads.
This year’s entries were judged by Insurance Commission Executive Officer Rebecca Hawkins, Football West Chief Operating Officer Perry Ielati and the winning artist from 2024 Gertrina Hayden.
Ms Hawkins said: “Partnering with Football West on the NAIDOC Ball Design competition provides the Insurance Commission with the opportunity to directly engage with the football and Indigenous communities about the Belt Up message. Distribution of the balls is set to benefit clubs across regional areas, where we see a higher proportion of claims from people who were not wearing a seat belt.
“We’d like to thank everyone who took the time to enter this year’s competition. The quality of entries was impressive.
“Congratulations to Jennie on her achievement! We look forward to seeing her outstanding design showcased on the pitch during NAIDOC Week. We know teams will use these balls with pride and enjoy taking the important Belt Up message back to their communities.”
Mr Ielati said: “Congratulations to Jennie on an exceptional and thought-provoking design which will look incredible once it is transferred onto the footballs.
“Football West and our clubs greatly value our partnership with the Insurance Commission and the NAIDOC balls are always well received when we distribute them.”
