IN PICTURES: Great Southern Football League and Albany Netball Association get into spirit of NAIDOC round

Sports teams across the Great Southern celebrated Aboriginal culture this weekend with football and netball players acknowledging First Nations people for the annual NAIDOC rounds. Five out of the six Great Southern Football League teams wore specially designed jumpers showcasing Aboriginal artwork, with Denmark-Walpole the only ones to wear their usual gear. At Retravision Stadium, the Minang Traditional Dancers performed a welcome to country and cultural dance to open the game between the Royals Lions and the Mt Barker Bulls. Dance leader Adrian Hardy said the seven dancers would perform something to “warm up the spirits” of the two teams, who were to play in a light rain. Artist Brianna Williams transformed Collingwood Park, designing Aboriginal patterns to be painted across the grass for the clash between the Railways and North Albany. The piece was spray-painted by Travis Whitby and features an Aboriginal flag surrounded by kangaroo footprints as a nod to the Kangas’ home ground, with lines representing each team’s players facing off on either side. Saturday’s three matches also saw teams playing with a special NAIDOC football. Netball players at Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre also took part in the NAIDOC festivities, with some teams jazzing up their usual outfits with special NAIDOC uniforms and bibs, and others going a step further to have players don dot face paint to add to the Aboriginal spirit. Albany Netball Association president Trish Hines performed a welcome to country for the netballers. NAIDOC week runs from July 7 to 14.