LOWELL Hunter is the remarkable talent behind Melbourne’s 2023 Sir Doug Nicholls Round guernsey.

He is a proud Nyul Nyul Saltwater Man from the Kimberley Region in Western Australia and currently resides on Wadawurrung Country in Geelong.

With a strong connection to the ocean, Hunter developed a unique skill in which he uses his feet to carve out breathtaking artworks into sand.

He describes his technique as the same foot movements he was taught through Traditional dance movements that his people have practiced for countless generations.

“I call myself a sand artist…I use my feet to move through the sand and carve through the sand to create these large-scale artworks,” Hunter told Melbourne Media.

“I’ve always had this connection with the ocean and being by the sea.

“So, for me, it's about grounding, it's a process of connecting to Country, it's a process of slowing down the mind, body and spirit and connecting into the spiritual world of who we are as Indigenous people.

“Particularly for myself, I love to involve my kids as well, [as] it's also about passing on cultural knowledge to them and telling stories,

“For them to take time out with me and our family and do this, it’s something that's really important.”

Also known as ‘The Salty One’, Hunter has spent years celebrating his connection to Country by creating these grand sand artworks, with each extraordinary design telling a meaningful story of identity, culture and family.

When it came to designing Melbourne’s 2023 Sir Doug Nicholls Round guernsey, Hunter said he was thrilled to have the opportunity to create a piece that would be of significance to not only himself but to the club and its people.

“I was really conscious of having a story that was meaningful, that was important to me and my people, my culture and my family but also resonated with the Melbourne Football Club,” Hunter said.

The artwork which Hunter carved into the sand was digitised and now takes pride of place on the front of Melbourne’s guernsey.

The design centres around a fire featured in the middle of the jumper, which Hunter said emphasised the significance of storytelling among First Nations culture.

“Fire became a strong element of the design,” Hunter said.

“The fire is in the middle of the artwork, because that's an important aspect of our culture, sitting around the fire yarning, talking, discussing and creating a sense of belonging.

“Particularly for Indigenous players within the club, gaining a sense of pride and who you are as well, as a football club.”

At the top and bottom of the jumper is the sun, a piece of the artwork that reminds fans of the importance of moving towards a reconciled Australia and taking action in our everyday lives to do so.  

“I have two suns depicted in the artwork as well, I really want people to wake up in the morning and think about how they’re going to contribute to Reconciliation, and you need to be thinking about that from the very moment you get up,” Hunter explained.

“Then upon the sunset, it’s really about that reflection, so what have we done today? What have we you achieved?”

The final component of Hunter’s design is the representation of the people of the Melbourne Football Club.

“We have the people that are depicted around the meeting places, the main circle, and those people can represent the family, it can represent the people that work within the Melbourne Football Club.

“It can also represent the Indigenous players that have been involved and are involved and will continue to be involved for future generations to come.”

The back of the guernsey features the names of all Melbourne Football Club’s Indigenous players, both past and present, honouring the important impact they’ve had on the club and its people.

The jumper will make its debut in the opening game of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, when Melbourne face Port Adelaide on Friday 19 May.

The players will wear the guernsey on two occasions throughout the round, the second when they host Fremantle at the MCG on Saturday 27 May. 

The club confirmed yesterday that it would, for the second year in a row, rebrand to Narrm Football Club for the duration of Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

Narrm is the traditional Aboriginal name for Melbourne and comes from the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung language.

During the two weeks, Fremantle will also rebrand and take on its traditional Aboriginal name of Walyaup, from the Noongar language, making the Saturday match a league first.

This year’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round guernsey is now available on the Demon Shop, thanks to the club’s official apparel partner, New Balance.

Supporters will have the option of purchasing the jumper in its four variations, long and short sleeve and home and away strips.

For more information on Hunter’s artworks, visit his website here and check out the incredible creation processes via his Instagram here.