Before a blow is struck in the Griffin Legal John I Dent Cup battle between the Gungahlin Eagles and the Tuggeranong Vikings, the game will have taken on a larger significance.
In a great initiative from the Gungahlin Eagles, the club has announced that they will be honouring the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players to the game.
They have chosen their first home game of the year against the Vikings as the ideal opportunity to do so.In another great move from the club, the eagles have put and Indigenous logo on the shoulder of the jerseys of the first-grade team.
The logo was designed by women’s player Nakiya Smith’s father, Duncan Smith.
In a video posted on the Eagles Facebook page, smith says that her father designed the jersey to “simply represent the players that come here.”
First-grade players Isaac Walker and Liam Bashford are both Indigenous and have pride in the club honouring indigenous culture in this way.
“To wear the jersey on the weekend, particularly for myself, will be overwhelming but to know that the Gungahlin Eagle community are getting behind the Aboriginal people and to have it on the jersey, is very good,” said Walker in the Eagles Facebook video.
Speaking of the Indigenous celebration, Bashford said that he was proud to be a part of the club.
“This is the first senior club to recognise my indigenous culture, and for me personally I’m very proud and privileged to be a part of a club that recognises Australia’s history and my culture and my people.”
The Eagles lost their opening Round matchup against Queanbeyan, but a late surge will have left Gungahlin feeling optimistic about their chances going into tomorrows game.
It was a similar story for the Vikings, their comeback came too late against 2017 Premiers Royals. Having said goodbye to Tim Sampson in the offseason, Vikings preparation was stop start.
Now Nick Scrivener will have the task of driving the Vikings on, an opening round loss to Royals not in the plans for the competitions perennial bench mark side.
Gungahlin have named a strong side for their home opener with Mac Hansen starting at 10.
He will be partnered by the electric Issak Fines who nearly won the Eagles game against the Whites all on his own.
Vikings will have a number of Plus500 Brumbies in their ranks including Darcy Swain, Ryan Lonergan and the silky centre Jordan Jackson-Hope.
The game kicks off at 3.15, pm (Gungahlin Enclosed Oval).
