We (Peter Farmer Designs) were approached by Michael (Sonny – Son-Son) Walters in December 2021 regarding the club requesting him to tell his story in the Indigenous Guernsey design for 2022.

Our initial meeting was about his aspirations and passions, and they of course included his family and his strong connections to those who he called his blood family and those which he described as his club family (The Dockers).

Michael’s parents told him about his Totems; in Aboriginal/Noongar culture, is significant to an individual’s identity.

Sonny had two from his Mother – the Emu or Wetj and the Spear or Ketj/Kitj. And two from his Father – the Black Swan or Maali and the Black Crow or Wardong.

Michael’s Father’s South-Australian language group is Ngarrindjeri from the Lower Murray and Pinjali/Booandik of Bordertown. And his Mother’s family has links throughout the South-West of Noongar country that includes, Minang, Wilman & Whadjuk clans/moieties.

Sonny talks with deep feeling & joy about his daughters and his love for his home- life and family, which is also what he wanted included in the designs.

After lengthy discussions around the trust and faith that he had in our creative processes, we began to work on a myriad of designs for his perusal.

Michael decided early that the feathers we suggested to represent his totems were a good way of symbolising his daughters and their significance to his journey. He also
     
decided that they would have to be close to his heart and they have been placed in a way that also gives the Chevron V’s a significant place in the designs.

Below this design is the journey’s symbolic of the realms that Noongars travel – which include the ‘PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE’ (we call them The Dreaming, The Now and The Spirit). The Now is more significant than the other two as this is the place we are at, and all of the decisions we make are filled many ups and downs, and this has been part of this particular design.

Sonny’s strong connections with both South Australia and Western Australia, has made him think about the other states and the many supporters of the Fremantle Football Club there are in the whole country.
The overall designs use of Noongar symbols is how we decided to communicate the stories visually. This symbol represents communities, towns and cities; and this is a representation of all of the communities, towns and cities that love the Fremantle Football Club.

When I mentioned that Michael has a football family; that family are the players and staff at Fremantle Football Club. His fellow players and team-mates across the club are represented here with what he feels is his most significant & competitive Noongar Totem ‘The Spear’ or Ketj, given to his traditional ancestor ‘Yinmar’. We’ve used the Noongar symbol for Men holding a Shield and Spear awaiting battle arm-in-arm.

The Noongar traditional linework added into the overall Guernsey is always a way in which you tell the viewers of your journeys or Biddi’s in our language.
We have added the colours of the club into the linework and symbols for mountains, the regions that Sonny hails from, as well as what have been mountains for the club to climb over his time here.

They are also symbolic of what they say visually; without the mountains that we all climb, reaching the summit or top wouldn’t be quite as sweet.

Personally – for myself – Peter Farmer Jnr, I have had an experience working closely with a family member that I admire as much as Michael and his Mum & extended families.

We (our family) have always been proud of Michael’s professional journey and his strong connections to family.
I know that my grandfather and Michaels were close cousins and after relocating from the Southwest kept and maintained strong connections to extended families and relatives in line with Noongar cultural protocols.

So good luck Son-Son & The Dockers for the Sir Douglas Nicholls rounds this year in 2022; and the best of luck for the entirety of the 2022 season.

We all hope that Fremantle Football Club, will be there in October for the big one, the Grand Final.

PETER JOHN FARMER III, 2022. © All right reserved.