The Kulin Nation, United: our NBL27 Indigenous Round uniform

Melbourne United is proud to unveil our Indigenous Round uniform for the Hungry Jack’s NBL27 season, the centrepiece of our Kulin Nation Project and a uniform created in a way that has never been done before in Australian sport.

For the first time, one uniform brings together all five groups of the Kulin Nation: the Wurundjeri, Boonwurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung and Wadawurrung peoples, whose Country covers much of central Victoria, including Narrm (Melbourne).

In Australian sport, an Indigenous Round uniform usually comes from one club working with one artist on one design. Rather than asking one artist to represent a whole Nation, Melbourne United invited five, one from each Kulin group, to tell the story of their own Country.

Each artist created their own unique piece of work, with elements from all five designs then brought together on a single uniform, united under the KULIN wordmark across the front of the jersey.

Lead artist Alex Kerr’s Wurundjeri design traces journeys through the lands and waterways to where we are today, with large meeting places representing Melbourne United and the Kulin Nation sitting together.

Steve Ulula Parker maps Boonwurrung Country from the Werribee River, around Port Phillip Bay and down to Wilsons Promontory. Betayla, the whale, swims back through those coastal waters, while five shields around a campfire mark the meeting place of the Kulin Nations.

Troy Firebrace’s Dja Dja Wurrung work, Djandak, speaks to the knowledge held in the landscape and guided by cultural law, with the flooding and drying of streams showing when it is right to access that knowledge.

Iluka Sax-Williams draws on the mountains and rivers of Taungurung Country, with Balayang, the bat, moving across a glowing night sky beneath the Seven Sisters.

Yalanda Edwards traces Geelong Bay and the Barwon River to Wurdi Youang (the You Yangs), with a black swan in the bay. Her piece pays tribute to the Wadawurrung women who have cared for Country across generations.

Kerr, who led the project alongside the four other artists, spoke to the significance of the project.

“It’s something that’s never been done before in this space,” Kerr said.

“To be able to bring so many different cultures in the Kulin Nation together… yes, we’re all Indigenous people, but we all have so many learnings and so many upbringings that are different, and to be able to bring that all together now and showcase that in one space is something that our cultures rarely do together.

“I wanted to bring back that feeling of all mobs working together as one, and Melbourne United has provided us with that opportunity to do that once again.

“To be able to showcase everyone’s different stories, upbringing experiences, learnings and education through art, and bring all that together in one jersey, it’s unreal. It’s something that we should all be proud of.”

The project has been guided by an Advisory Committee of Elders, artists and community leaders, including Uncle Ricky Baldwin, Travis Lovett and Alex Kerr. Senior Elder Aunty Joy Murphy of the Wurundjeri has provided oversight throughout.

The Kulin Nation Project comes from Melbourne United’s purpose of using the power of basketball to enrich our community, and is driven by our club value of inclusion.

The Kulin Nation Project reaches well beyond the uniform itself. On game night, we will welcome 250 young people to John Cain Arena, 50 from each of the five Kulin Nation groups, to see the uniform worn for the first time and celebrate their culture together.

We are also working closely with community partner Koorie Academy, led by Uncle Ricky Baldwin, on a number of initiatives specific to the Indigenous Round. Koorie Academy creates culturally safe environments for Aboriginal young people to learn and play basketball.

The Kulin Nation Project is proudly supported by Kinaway Chamber of Commerce, the peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses in Victoria, and Trojan Tools, who have been a major partner of Melbourne United for over 10 years. We thank both partners for helping to bring the project to life.

Melbourne United CEO Nick Truelson said the project was one of the most meaningful the club has undertaken.

“Every time we take the court, we are playing on Kulin Nation Country, and to have all five groups represented on one uniform, each in their own voice but United together, is a real honour for our players, our staff and our fans,” Truelson said.

“We are incredibly grateful to the five artists and the Advisory Committee for trusting us with their stories, and we hope this uniform helps more people in our community learn about the Kulin Nation.”

Alongside the jersey, the artwork features on the shorts, warm-up top and coaches’ polo, as well as across our merchandise and game-day signage at John Cain Arena.

The stories behind each of the five artworks live on The Gathering Place, Melbourne United’s new online home for all of our First Nations activity and the Kulin Nation Project dedicated page. To learn more about the artists, their designs and the Kulin Nation, click here.

We will debut the uniform in Round 10 as part of the NBL Indigenous Round, when we host the New Zealand Breakers at John Cain Arena on Saturday 21 November from 7:30pm. Tickets are available here.

Our NBL27 Indigenous uniform will be available via the Melbourne United Store from 10am Wednesday 28 October.

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