AFL 2021: Port Adelaide Ingidenous guernsey artist tells Power to wear it with pride

The original artist of Port Adelaide’s stunning Indigenous guernsey has told the players to wear it with pride for the Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

The Port guernsey for Sir Doug Nicholls round.

Port Adelaide will wear its Indigenous guernsey in this year’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round after getting approval from the original artist after it emerged her design was plagiarised.

The Power unveiled their guernsey for next week’s clash against Fremantle on Wednesday, with the design for the jumper coming from a student from their Power Cup program – for the first time ever.

A Murray Bridge High School student said her design took her two months to come up with.

But on Thursday night, Aboriginal artist Elle Campbell took to social media to say the artwork on the guernsey was originally designed by her – in 2019.

Ms Campbell posted that her painting was at Flinders Medical Centre for an exhibition on May 28 2019, as part of National Reconciliation Week and said she was “deeply hurt by the use of this painting and the ‘artist’ claiming the work as their own” – however she has pleaded with people not to hassle the student, noting that mistakes happen and she now has no ill feeling towards the student.

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Port Adelaide investigated allegations that the design of its guernsey for this year’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round was plagiarised. Picture: Simon Cross

In a statement the club said it could now confirm “the artwork on the guernsey was originally designed” by Ms Campbell.

The club met with Ms Campbell on Friday and she stressed she wanted to wanted the club to wear it next week against Fremantle.

“Sir Doug Nicholls Round is important to me and my people and I know it means a lot to Port Adelaide. I don’t want to take anything away from the club or the Indigenous players representing the club,” she said.

“I definitely want Port Adelaide to wear the guernsey with great pride in Sir Doug Nicholls Round.”

The statement said Ms Campbell had been in contact with the student who claimed to design the guernsey as part of the Power Cup program curriculum.

“The way the Port Adelaide Football Club has handled this has been great. I’m happy that I will receive the recognition as the original artist and that my story behind the artwork can be told,” Ms Campbell said.

“One thing that I want to stress is that I don’t want people to hassle the student. She’s young, she’s made a mistake and owned it, and I know what social media culture can be like. I ask people to consider her feelings because there’s certainly no ill feeling from me and I just want her to work through this situation with her family.”

The design by the student was originally set to be Murray Bridge’s guernsey for last year’s Power Cup carnival, but it was cancelled twice because of COVID.

Instead it was chosen to be the Power’s Indigenous guernsey this year.

The Advertiser understands an independent panel had made the call for it to be the design for Port’s guernsey.

Elle Campbell with the painting she claims is the source of Port’s guernsey design.

Elle Campbell posted this on Instagram.

Port Adelaide chief executive Matthew Richardson said Ms Campbell had been “outstanding throughout the whole process” and the club had provided support for the student.

“Clearly, no one intended for this to play out this way, but we are now pleased that Ms Campbell will get the recognition she deserves and we look forward to telling the story behind her artwork next week,” he said.

“Ms Campbell has been outstanding throughout this whole process and we thank her for her understanding. It’s a mark of her character that one of her first concerns was the welfare of the student.

“We have provided support resources for the student and her family and will continue to support her moving forward. She made a mistake and acknowledged it, so now we ask others to respect her privacy.”

The guernseys, and jumpers and scarfs with the design on them, were set to go on sale at the Port Store on Friday but after the allegations were made they were pulled.

They will now be available for retail from early next week after Ms Campbell gave her permission for this, saying she wanted all proceeds from the guernseys to be invested into the club’s Aboriginal Programs.

Another shot of Elle Campbell’s painting.

Elle Campbell’s statement.

“I understand all the work Port Adelaide invests into Aboriginal youth through their Indigenous programs,” he said

“I’m more than happy for all the guernsey sales to be invested back into these programs to ensure Indigenous youth continue to get opportunities to grow.”

An Education Department spokesman said the school had been in touch with the teenagers’ family.

“We are aware of Port Adelaide’s investigation in relation to the Indigenous round guernsey,” he said.

“The school has been in touch with the girl’s family and the priority for the leadership team is supporting her wellbeing.”

In 2019 Port were accused of copying a design an Australian designer claimed he came up with four years prior when it unveiled its 150th year anniversary logo.

It has since been adopted by Port as its club logo going forward.

A promotional video by the Power in 2018, titled ‘We are Port Adelaide’ was also considered to be remarkably similar to what English soccer giants Liverpool had put out months prior.

Originally published as AFL 2021: Port Adelaide Ingidenous guernsey artist tells Power to wear it with pride