DREAMTIME IN BEAR TOWN
Player designs special jersey for TRL encounter
RUGBY LEAGUE: It might be the last round of the competition, but for Oakey it is shaping up as one of their most important.
During tomorrow’s round 18 TRL fixtures against Goondiwindi, Oakey will wear indigenous jerseys designed by Chris Oliver.
Oliver serves as a long-serving player at the club and has used his artistic skills to create a jersey the club will wear with pride.
“I’ve been at Oakey for six years, and to get involved and do something like this (is great),” Oliver said.
“A couple of teammates hit me up to put a design in so we went ahead with it.
“I’ve been an artist for a while. It started out as a hobby, sitting around with a few mates over the years and learning from them.
“I watched how they did it and tried a bit of it myself. Then a hobby turned into an everyday thing.”
The design comes from a painting titled Walking Through The Dreamtime by Oliver, and he said it served a significant purpose. It shows men and women walking from tribe to tribe with their stories of the dreamtime, as well as the stories of the kangaroo and emu.
Oliver said running out onto Trevor Mickleborough Oval alongside his teammates in the jersey would be something he wouldn’t forget.
“To represent our culture, and not only that, but for the non-indigenous players to represent it as well is something I’m looking forward to,” he said.
“It’s like playing in the knockout carnival where we represent our culture, and now we can do it in the club competition.
“It will mean everything to me.
“The good thing about it is it’s not just the A-grade wearing the strip, but the whole club.
“The 18s through to reserve grade and A-grade (will wear it), and the 14s boys are getting involved in it as well and wearing them next week.”
The fixture serves a milestone for a number of players, with Oliver to run out alongside Dylan Adamson for their 50th games in Oakey colours. Aaron Cherry and Josh Stanton will play game number 150 for the Bears on the “Old Boys’” day for the club, celebrating the 20th anniversary of their 1998 premiership victory.