A potential jumper clash threatens to make Saturday night’s Dreamtime at the ’G a confusing spectacle after both Richmond and Essendon produced predominantly black strips for this year’s blockbuster.
The Bombers will wear white shorts as the away team in the MCG fixture, but both their guernsey and the Tigers’ are largely black with splashes of red and yellow respectively, which has the potential to cause problems for fans and commentators.
Tex Wanganeen (Essendon) and Maurice Rioli (Richmond) promoted their Indigenous jumpers on Monday ahead of Saturday night’s Dreamtime at the ’G.Credit: Getty Images
Richmond’s jumper was designed by Marlion Pickett, together with his partner Jessica Nannup, and features Pickett’s family totem, The Kaarak, a red-tailed black cockatoo.
The cockatoo is represented as flying on the design, to signify the Pickett family’s move from Perth to Melbourne. They will wear black shorts as the home side on Saturday night.
Meanwhile, Essendon’s strip was designed by Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti. It features the footprints of the Bombers’ past First Nations players, while also representing “the pathway and journey through different terrains and lands to the NEC Hangar, our central meeting place”, according to the Bombers’ website.
When the clubs revealed their designs earlier this month, both said on their websites they would wear the jumpers for the Dreamtime game, but the potential clash only became clear after Essendon’s Tex Wanganeen and Richmond’s Maurice Rioli junior were pictured together on Monday in the guernseys as part of a promotional launch of the Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
The AFL were contacted by The Age on Monday, but did not respond before deadline. Essendon and Richmond declined to comment on a potential clash.
Richmond have eight Indigenous players on their list. Shane Edwards (Arrernte country), Daniel and Maurice Rioli (Tiwi Islands), Shai Bolton and Marlion Pickett (Noongar) all played in Saturday’s game against Hawthorn.
At the bottom of the jumper, the players are illustrated as warriors and “their different journeys to Richmond from all around Australia are displayed in the yellow sash, highlighting the football club as a central place where each can connect, share stories, and play football”, according to the Tigers’ website.
Maurice Rioli and Tex Wanganeen show off the Tigers and Bombers’ 2022 Indigenous jumpers.Credit: Getty Images
Saturday’s clash will be the first played in Melbourne since 2019, after the past two games were relocated to Perth and Darwin respectively due to the pandemic. It will be the 16th time that the annual fixture has been played at the home of football.
All eyes will be on Essendon following their disappointing loss to Sydney on Saturday night, which prompted club great and former captain Matthew Lloyd to draw a line in the sand.
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