Brent Naden is super proud of Wests Tigers 2023 Indigenous Jersey and so he should be.
Naden, and his colour-blind cousin, played a huge part in the production of this year’s jersey which will be worn by Wests Tigers in this weekend’s Indigenous Round match against North Queensland Cowboys at Leichhardt Oval.
It is much more than a jersey. And so much more than a piece of art.
It is a rich and vibrant tapestry of culture which tells a story about Wests Tigers Indigenous players, their past, present, and future.
As Naden explains, the 2023 Indigenous Jersey is a collection of stories and symbols.
“I’ve been involved with a couple of clubs around Indigenous jersey design and normally the club designs it and then just runs it by us,” said Naden.
The club came to us and asked if we would like to design it ourselves, which we did.
Brent Naden
Naden takes great pride in his culture and his People and is immensely proud of the finished product.
“It tells an important story, and that’s what we wanted to do,” he said.
“The left side represents the ocean and the east coast, and over on the right side is Wellington and Bathurst where me and (Brandon) Tumeth are from.
“The lower middle on the front is Concord where we all meet and has all the boys, and the indigenous boys have the coloured totems.
“My totem is the goanna. There are seven different types of goannas but my one is the sand goanna, my father’s totem.”
Like the front of the jersey, the back is also an explosion of colour, rich in symbolism.
“The main image is the team that will play Indigenous round, the 17 players and also the coaches,” Naden explains.
The Indigenous boys have got the colour of their totem in there, and the Kangaroo footprints show the new Mob joining us this season.
Brent Naden
“Then there’s the lower back image which represents our three homes if you like, Campbelltown, Leichhardt, and Concord.”
Of the seven Indigenous players represented in the jersey, Naden and Will Smith are the only ones with children.
“Me and Will (Smith) wanted to have our kids involved, so we got their handprints in the design as well,” said Naden.
Bringing these stories to life is Aboriginal artist, Will Towney, a friend and relative of Naden, who hails from Gilgandra, NSW.
“A lot of my culture I have learnt from my dad, my pop and my cousin Ralph Naden who is Brent’s pop,” explains Towney.
“The main reason I practice my Indigenous art is to free my mind from life’s pressures, even though I’m colour blind.
It was Brent’s idea that I paint this creation and I was honestly lost for words and so grateful to be asked.
Will Towney
“It was such a complex task with so much detail and I knew it would test my abilities as an artist.”
This year’s jersey is the result of much collaboration and many months of work.
“I met with a few of the boys at the Zurich Centre and we discussed the process, colour palette and storyline behind the jersey,” Towney explains.
“They wanted the jersey to be a story that represented their family, community, and tribes, showing their journey to Wests Tigers.
“For example, Brent wanted to represent Wellington and his tribal totem is the sand goanna which is passed down from his father.
“From there we exchanged loads of ideas back and forth via WhatsApp from start to finish.
“The boys were great to work with and had a clear vision of what they wanted from the design.
If I could do this again, I would in a heartbeat!
Will Towney