Swifts don Iman’s art with pride
HAILEYBURY Rendall student Iman Evans got the chance to see the NSW Swifts take to the court in her design for the Suncorp Super Netball Indigenous Round yesterday.
The defending champions defeated Adelaide Thunderbirds 57-54 in Cairns in what was a special occasion for the young artist.
The Swifts teamed up with principal partner QBE Insurance and charity partners Stars Foundation to set up a contest for students to submit designs for their Indigenous Round dress.
The winning design was created by Evans, who was delighted to be the winning entrant and was eager to see the 2019 premiership-winning side take to the court in her design.
Evans is a passionate artist and netball player who incorporated the well-known red and blue colouring of the Swifts into her winning design.
“It means a lot that my design has been chosen. It’s pretty big for me,” Evans said.
“The Indigenous Round is so important because Indigenous people are such a big part of Australia and its identity.
“The stars in the corner represent the players, the lines represent the different qualities of the athletes – teamwork, fitness, communication, leadership, respect, reliability and fairness.
“The large curved band represents obstacles along the way and the ability to overcome them, and the red-andblue colours represent the team colours.”
Evans is a student who works with the Stars Foundation, a charity that works in schools across Australia to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls to attend school, complete Year 12 and move into full-time work or further study.
Swifts and Australian Diamonds defender Maddy Turner said her side was honoured to wear Iman’s design, feeling it spoke to them as a team.
“What I really love about the dress is the large curved band, which says that no journey is ever straightforward,” she said.