Russells Creek's stunning Indigenous design wins jumper comp

A jumper designed by 13-year-old Indigenous boy Kobi Chatfield, for Russells Creek Football Netball Club, has been voted the winner of AFL Victoria's Best Local Footy Jumper competition. 

AFL Victoria asked for submissions for the competition via social media, with 16 jumpers making the cut, before fan voting eventually led to Russells Creek toppling the Lysterfield Wolves Junior Football Club in the final, with more than 3000 total votes gathered from across AFL Victoria's social media channels to decide the winner.

Russells Creek competes in the Warrnambool & District Football Netball League and it was clear during the voting process how much the local community rallied around the club's entry. 

Below is further background on Kobi's design and story. Supplied by Russells Creek FNC:

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Kobi Chatfield's message behind his design of Russells Creek first-ever Indigenous jumper is simple: "Everyone coming together to play and watch a game of football and netball".

Kobi, 13, was revealed as the winning designer during the Creekers' home game on Saturday after the club opened up submissions to the community last year.

"I guess that's the story in Warrnambool, everyone knows each other, it's a small town," Kobi said of his design. "And everyone comes up to the meeting place where we are today at the Mack Oval."

Kobi, who is Indigenous Australian, said it was a surprise to see his work translated onto the club's historic jumper, with the junior footballer also embracing the opportunity to wear the guernsey when playing for his under 15 team.

"I was pretty proud," he said. "It was good to be able to show my culture just through art and letting everyone see it and see everyone wearing my jumper. When I was watching the seniors, I forgot they were wearing it and had to have another look and thought 'wow'."

The son of the club's senior co-coach Danny Chatfield, Kobi also incorporated the Hopkins River into the artwork through the Creekers' Blue V.

"It's the Mouth, where obviously the eel story, it goes all the eels came to migrate out to sea," Danny explained. "For us as Aboriginal First Nation people it was a fairly significant spot. All our elders talk about it so it's something we'll continue to talk about

The Warrnambool College student was presented with a framed version of his design ahead of Saturday's senior match between Russells Creek and Kolora-Noorat. It followed a traditional smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country by Allan Miller and Uncle Rob Lowe.

Growing up at Framlingham, 15km out from Warrnambool, Danny said all his children had embraced their Indigenous heritage.

"I grew up there, married (Kobi's) mother (Amy), so he's got both sides, Indigenous and non-Indigenous," Danny said. "Kobi is passionate about culture, he's a part of Koko Blokes, a young youth group which is all about keeping them engaged in school and mentoring and getting back to community.

"We are always proud of our boys, they acknowledge they've got both sides of the family. They've got plenty of mates, they know who their family are, who their Aboriginal community are."

As a club, Russells Creek embraces a large Indigenous population, giving Kobi plenty of role models to look up.

"Most are all my cousins, so I'm always looking up to them," he said. "(On Saturday) they came up to me saying how proud they are, that they were wearing my guernsey. It was very inspiring."

Both Chatfield's hope the club can lead the way for others to embrace an Indigenous jumper, given the significance and Aboriginal population in the south-west.

"It was good to see the wider community get down here and support it, and Kolora-Noorat to be apart of it," Danny said. "Everyone was getting along in the tents, and at the end of the day, it's more than the game. Whatever happens out there for two hours stays out there, then you come together afterwards."