GRANT Wright’s heart sank when he saw Aboriginal elder Ted Lovett being racially abused during a football match at Darley Park last year.
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Lovett was attending a Ballarat Football League match between Darley and North Ballarat City when he was racially attacked by a Devils supporter, prompting a league investigation.
Wright knew his beloved club would instantly be portrayed in a negative light and the Darley Football Club president set about immediately rectifying the situation.
Wind the clock forward 12 months and Darley will become the first BFL side to wear a specially designed Indigenous strip.
The Devils will wear the special strip as part of the league’s indigenous round against North City on Saturday.
The jumper was presented to Lovett on Friday as a symbol of a respect that has since grown between Lovett and Darley, following a series of mediation sessions last year.
“When we thought about the way the club was portrayed after a certain incident last year we decided this was something we were going to make happen,” Wright said.
“After the situation that happened to Ted last year that I witnessed, and was involved in the mediation, to know what was said to that man and to hear his reaction says a lot about his character.
“Ted’s a pure gentlemen. The message he passes on is so powerful, he probably doesn’t realise how powerful his message is.”
For Lovett, a two-time Henderson Medallist, seeing the jumper for the first time was simply heart-warming.
“I’m a great believer that when everyone puts on a jumper it doesn’t matter where you are from, what colour you are or what nationality you are – you are equal,” he said.
Wright said the jumpers would not have been possible without the assistance of Bacchus Marsh Bendigo Bank branch manager Ian prince or Moorabool Shire mayor Paul Tatchell, who both donated money to help fund the jumpers.
He also said it was hoped the reserves, under-18.5s and juniors could possibly wear the jumpers next year.