The UWA Indigenous Nationals team has entered a new era with a name change and playing kit designed by Dr Richard Walley OAM.
Team UWA Maaliwah have been presented with their playing jersey in a presentation held at Bilya Marlee on Wednesday 19 June.
The ceremony marked the official commencement of the new playing group ahead of the week-long competition. The team received words of encouragement from UWA Sport Performance Senior Manager Emma Pass as well as former AFL player Ash McGrath. The 214 capped Brisbane Lion player shared his insight into the remarkable journey into the Australian Football League. Rickeeta Walley spoke on behalf of her father, Dr Walley, to share the story behind the design.
Dr Walley, a Noongar man and respected lecturer in Aboriginal Culture at UWA, played a crucial part in the design of the uniform artwork. The design connects the University with its location on sacred soil alongside the Derbal Yerrigan (Swan River) on Whadjuk Noongar Boodja.
The artwork titled, Gnarnk, Bilya, Boodja translates to Sun/Mother, River and Country.
The uniform depicts the “sunrise over the Swan River which passes the University,” Dr Walley said.
“The Sun is the giver of life, the River is a place of learning and the Land is home.”
"The living entity which epitomises the water in the Derbal Yerrigan, the Maali — the black swan — and ‘Wah’ an expression of delight."
UWA Sport Senior Manager Performance, Emma Pass
The team, which used to be known as the UWA Western Waagyls, has been renamed UWA Maaliwah, which represents a joyous expression of the Black Swan.
UWA Maaliwah enters this new chapter while upholding a strong legacy of success, with an impressive history of winning seven previous UniSport Australia Indigenous Nationals championships.
The Indigenous Nationals, a week-long multisport event, aims to bringing together Indigenous student athletes from universities across Australia.
It provides an opportunity to showcase the talents and diverse cultures of Indigenous students from across Australia, and is an event where First Nations participants can come together and connect with each other through sport.
UWA Maaliwah will travel to the University of Wollongong, NSW, to compete in the 28th Indigenous Nationals on 23 June 2024.
The first Indigenous Nationals was held in 1996 at the University of Newcastle and was attended by approximately 30 students. The event has now grown to an annual spectacle which hosts hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tertiary students from around Australia every year.
Throughout the week, students compete in four core sports — touch, football, netball, basketball and volleyball — plus a traditional Indigenous game.
UWA Maaliwah will be co-captained by experienced leaders Hayley Shadforth and Amos Smith as the team strives for excellence and seek success beyond sport.
UWA School of Indigenous Studies and UWA Sport support staff will join the team as it embarks on its quest for another championship.
Congratulations to all the athletes selected for UWA Maaliwah, including the support staff.
UWA Maaliwah Team List:
Aaron Gittens
Alicia Roe
Amos Smith (Captain)
Bayo (Braedan) Taylor
Charlee Brahim
Charlotte Walker
Hayley Shadforth (Captain)
Kirby Hobbs
Nisha Morris
Simon Hayward
Tara Thompson
Tex Garstone
Tsharntai Baker
For more information on UniSport Indigenous Nationals, visit UniSport Australia to get all the latest updates on fixtures and scores.