Fremantle will proudly wear a Michael Walters and Peter Farmer Junior designed Indigenous jumper for the AFL’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round games against Collingwood and Melbourne in rounds 10 and 11.

The Peter Farmer Designs Team worked closely with Walters through the design process, with the final design developed and produced by Peter Farmer Jnr.

Walters is the first current AFL player to provide a design to a Fremantle jumper, and it was a family affair with Walters’ and Junior’s grandparents being close cousins who both have heritage linking back to the Minang language group in the Noongar region around Albany.

Farmer is also related to both Polly and Jeff Farmer on his father’s side and the Yarran family on his mother’s side – further strengthening his links to the Club.

The design process was done in conjunction with Fremantle’s ‘Stretch’ RAP (Reconciliation Action Plan), which was developed in assistance with the Club’s Indigenous program partner, Woodside.

“I'm so proud and honoured to play a part in designing an Indigenous jumper for Fremantle,” Walters said.

“It was important for me to get ‘Junior’ and Peter Farmer Senior involved as well - they're strong Indigenous men and artists.

“There are strong ties and traditions at Fremantle with the Farmer family and throughout the AFL so, I thought it was only right to get those guys involved.

“I've been here 14 years and this Club has a strong history with indigenous players, even before I came here. This is an exciting opportunity for me and hopefully it does the club proud, as well as my friends and also my family.”

While Walters starts this week in the AFL’s Health and Safety Protocols, he remains hopeful of having the opportunity to pull on the jumper with his teammates on multiple occasions this season.

As well as wearing the purple version of the jumper against Collingwood, Fremantle will wear a clash version against Melbourne. The Club will also look to wear the jumper in NAIDOC week in July in line with previous seasons.

“The players before me didn't get the opportunity to wear their designs. For me, I'm quite proud and lucky to be able to go out there with 22 other brothers and represent the jumper,” Walters said. 

“I love this round, the whole AFL community embraces it and it’s something special. It will be incredible for me to be a part of that.”

It was Walters’ desire to have a clean and simple design, but that hasn’t reduced the significant storytelling around the journeys of both Walters and Fremantle.

The jumper has five distinct design features, highlighted by the prominent feathers that make up the chevrons from Fremantle’s home and away jumper designs.

A proud family man, Walters chose feathers that represent his Totems to show that family is both his strength and close to his heart.

The Totems include the feathers of the Maali (Black Swan) and Wardong (Black Crow) from his father’s South Australian language group of Ngadjuri from the Barossa Valley Regions.

The bottom chevron feature Wetj (Emu) feathers from his mother’s family ties with the South West from the Noongar language groups of the Minang, Wilman and Whadjuk clans.

Below the feathers is a section that highlights The Dreaming (past), The Now (present) and The Spirit (future) of Noongar culture.

Walters then highlights his strong ties with regions all around Australia with Noongar symbols that depict communities, towns and cities, linking that to how the Fremantle Dockers are loved and supported around the globe.

The strength of the playing group is then represented with Noongar symbols of men united standing arm in arm, while holding a Ketj (spear) and shield.

The base of the jumper is decorated with Noongar traditional linework that features prominently in ‘Juniors’ art. These lines represent the journey of the Fremantle Football Club depicting the mountains the Club has had to climb over its journey.

“Without the mountains that we all climb, reaching the summit or top wouldn’t be quite as sweet,” ‘Junior’ said of the design.

Click here to read Junior’s full description of the jumper as Junior delves deeper into the meaning of the jumper as well as the design process.

At the top of the jumper is a hibiscus flower, which is known as both the Stolen Generation and also the National Sorry Day Flower. It’s a symbol of strength, healing and resilience.  

The Kimberley Stolen Generation Aboriginal Corporation have given Fremantle permission to use the flower in the Indigenous jumpers across Freo’s men’s and women’s teams.  Visit kimberleystolengenerations.com.au to purchase your own flower and learn more about the important work they are undertaking in our community.