Tunuba Dakani: The Story Behind the Jersey

When I was given the opportunity to create this year’s Indigenous Round jersey for the Central Queensland Capras, it was never going to be just a design.

It needed to tell the story of this place and the Country the players represent every time they pull on the jersey.

The artwork is called Tunuba Dakani.

Tunuba is the Fitzroy River. Dakani is the Saltwater Crocodile.

For thousands of years, the Fitzroy River has sustained the people of this region. It has provided food, water and knowledge. It has been a place where families came together to teach, celebrate and pass culture from one generation to the next.

Like rugby league, it is about connection. It is about belonging. It is about people standing together.

The River

Running across the jersey are the waterways of the Fitzroy River.

Rivers never stop moving. They twist, they bend and they meet obstacles, but they keep finding a way forward.

That is what a football season demands too.

There will be pressure. There will be setbacks. There will be moments when players have to dig deeper than they thought possible.

Like the river, they keep moving.

The Guardian

The Saltwater Crocodile is the guardian of the river.

People often see only its strength, but there is another side to it. A crocodile fiercely protects its young. It knows when to be patient, when to remain calm and when to act with power.

That is leadership.

Every player has the opportunity to be a guardian. A guardian of their teammates, their club, the jersey they wear and the communities that look up to them.

Young people across Central Queensland will be watching. They may not only remember the score. They will remember how the players carried themselves, how they respected one another and how they responded under pressure.

Carrying the Region

This jersey represents more than Indigenous culture.

It represents the rivers, the coast, the cattle, the mining towns, the farming communities and the families across Central Queensland.

From Rockhampton to Yeppoon, Emerald to Blackwater, Gladstone to Biloela, Woorabinda, Mount Morgan and beyond.

Different communities and different backgrounds, united by one jersey.

When the players put it on, they carry the story of this landscape on their shoulders. They carry thousands of years of history and the pride of everyone who calls Central

Queensland home.

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My hope is that the artwork reminds them to wear it with humility and courage. To protect one another as Dakani protects the river, and to remain resilient like the river that never stops flowing.

True strength is not only measured by how hard someone hits or how fast they run.

It is measured by how well they lead, how well they protect and how well they stand together.

Thank you for allowing my story to become part of yours.