West Coast Eagles reveal Pride guernsey designed by current and past players including Pingrup’s Belinda Smith

Pingrup-raised AFLW star Belinda Smith has played a leading hand in helping the West Coast Eagles design their inaugural Pride Round guernsey, to be worn for the first time on Friday night. On Monday the Eagles released the guernsey, a collaborative approach from current and former players and staff that incorporates some key elements, including the colours of the progress pride flag shadowing the Eagle’s head. The back of the design also has dates and inspiring quotes from past and present players and staff. Smith is a reliable defender in her fourth season with the Eagles and is approaching 50 AFLW games. The 27-year-old was actively involved in the design and said she was excited about the opportunity to wear the inaugural Pride guernsey. “It was really cool to include everyone’s personal anecdotes, words or dates,” Smith said. “It’s a really beautiful part of the jumper and that’s the part I’m most excited to wear. I can’t wait to run out there and represent the rest of the queer community. “Pride Round is super-important to me and to the rest of the girls in the team. “It is really important to see the visibility, the celebration and the representation that we can show the rest of the community. “The AFLW has really helped push that forward as well and the Pride game is so, so important. “I’m so happy for the girls and boys and non-binary kids whose differences are celebrated.” A strong influence over the design was recently retired former player Andrea Gilmore. “It was great to be able to help in this design process and also have a bit of a chat to the group,” Gilmore said. “It was really important for me to be a part of this process ongoing, even after I have retired.” The AFLW Pride Round is on the weekend of October 15-16 but the Eagles wanted to unveil the new guernsey at this week’s home game against Richmond. “We probably haven’t been as pro-active as we’d like in the pride awareness and the journey,” Smith said. “So the story about the jumper is us rising from that and coming out better people and a better club that is just more inclusive. “We tried to make sure we had a really good idea as to what we wanted it to represent and what we wanted it to mean and it was just a really fun process.”