The Dragons are proud to announce that Brendon Garlett’s artwork ‘Spirit of Connection’ is the winner of the club's 2024 Indigenous Jersey Design competition as selected by the club's staff, players, and local Elders.
The arches on the bottom of the design symbolise mountains which are a representation of the Indigenous men and women who are a part of the Dragons.
It shows the players’ connection with Mother Earth that stretches from the Cooks River to the Clyde River on the land of which they are a part.
The players’ totems - the goanna, whale, dolphin and black duck - are depicted in the artwork and are a key part of their belonging to country as well as connection to land, culture, their ancestry, and identity.
The symbol below the goanna and black duck feather symbolises the three tribal groups of the Dragons’ catchment - Eora, Dharawal, and Yuin - and their connection to each other.
The footprints on the side are another symbol of connection with feet representing a physical connection to the land and the story of journey.
The Red V is a symbol of the club and its connection to the tribal land as well as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players and coaches from over the years which is also depicted through the symbol of family and belonging in the artwork.
The importance of this initiative is not lost on the club; we wish to thank all 22 entrants for submitting their designs which are proudly showcased below.
We acknowledge all 22 artists, their passion, their commitment and their skill.
The club asked the artists to highlight and explore artworks that capture “Connection” as our core theme.
The Dragons believe that, through the chosen artwork, we are in a position to educate our supporters through visual arts by using traditional cultural practices as a vehicle for continued learning.
This year's theme was also inspired to encourage all Dragons supporters to learn about your connection to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in your own community.
Indigenous art is centred on storytelling and is used as a chronicle to convey knowledge of the land, events, and beliefs of the Aboriginal people and important cultural stories through the generations.
The Dragons will wear their Indigenous Jersey during in Round 12 against the Bulldogs at Accor Stadium.
