Netball SA’s Premier League clubs unveil specially-designed dresses ahead of indigenous round

The state’s top netballers will hit the court this Friday with strikingly designed dresses to celebrate the Premier League’s indigenous round.

Tierrah Miller is a proud Garville netballer.

She is also a very proud Aboriginal woman from the Yamatji Noongah family group.

That is why the when the wing attack was asked to design Garville’s indigenous round uniform she was filled with a huge sense of pride.

Garville will join Oakdale, South Adelaide, Metro Jets, Contax, Newton Jaguars and Tango in wearing the strikingly designed uniforms in rounds five and six (this Friday and next Monday night).

Matrics will, however, wear their dress designed to honour late teammate Ivy-Rose Hughes, who was tragically killed in a McLaren Vale crash in February.

Miller designed Garville’s dress with her mother, Melanie Pickett, with a focus on this year’s NAIDOC theme, Heal Country, at the forefront.

The 20-year-old said the shapes and symbols on the dress were used in aboriginal art to represent people, rain, water and meeting place.

“Healing can be done in many different ways but our main focus or element for our design was water,” Miller, of Ethelton, said.

Garville's Tierrah Miller ahead of the Premier League’s indigenous round. Picture: Supplied, Netball SA/Dean Martin

“Rain is also shown to cleanse the land, so the circles between the rain are symbols that represent water holes after a good rain.

“The largest circle in the middle with the 12 red ‘u’ shapes represent people — the 12 players.

“The circle the 12 players are around represents our meeting place which is the Garville Netball Club.

“We are very happy with the design and it means a lot knowing I am the only indigenous Premier League player at Garville.

“To be asked to design this year’s dress is very meaningful.”

Miller is originally from WA and joined Garville when she relocated to SA in 2019.

She praised Netball SA and the clubs for getting behind indigenous round.

“I’m still learning about my culture,” Miller said.

“This show we are embracing the indigenous culture and bringing an indigenous round into sporting events helps support it.”

Premier League netballers celebrate indigenous round with specifically designed uniforms. (L-R) Kimberly Batley (Metro Jets), Jessica Ward (Tango), Jordan Vivian (Oakdale), Chelsea Lemke (Contax), Tierrah Miller (Garville), Chloe Burgess (Newton Jaguars). Picture: Supplied, Netball SA/Dean Martin

Netball SA chief executive Bronwyn Klei said indigenous round was an incredibly important event on the Premier League calendar.

“To have seven clubs deliver indigenous dress designs this year is very exciting,” Klei said.

“(It is) indicative of the Premier League’s dedication to creating a more inclusive environment for indigenous athletes to thrive.

“Indigenous round is an opportunity for us all to become more educated on First Nations peoples and cultures, which is why the Welcome to Country and Meeting Place circle that all teams will be involved in pre-game is so important.”

Klei said the clubs’ commitment to celebrating indigenous round comes off the back a national Declaration of Commitment, which she signed last year on behalf of Netball SA.

It pledges to take significant action to break down barriers that have prevented Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, coaches, umpires and administrators from flourishing in our sport.

“This week, we unveiled our Acknowledgment of Country artwork that lines the front of our building as a demonstration of this commitment,” Klei said.

“The awareness and education around our Premier League indigenous round is just one step towards netball achieving this goal.”

INDIGENOUS ROUND (ROUND FIVE) FIXTURES:

Friday, May 28

■ Oakdale v Garville, Netball SA Stadium, court one

■ Contax v Newton Jaguars, Netball SA Stadium, court two

■ Matrics v South Adelaide, Netball SA Stadium, court three

■ Tango v Metro Jets Netball SA Stadium, court four

INDIGENOUS ROUND (ROUND SIX) FIXTURES:

Monday, May 31

■ Contact v Tango, Netball SA Stadium, court one

■ Oakdale v Metro Jets, Netball SA Stadium, court four

■ Garville v Matrics, Netball SA Stadium, court three

■ Newton Jaguars v South Adelaide, Netball SA Stadium, court two