Indigenous music legend Archie Roach will perform during the football at the MCG this Saturday.
Archie Roach: Photo Ros O'Gorman
Roach will perform ‘The Colour Of Your Jumper’, a song he wrote 20 years ago about the colour of a football jumper being more important than the colour of a person’s skin. The song was written in response to when Nicky Winmar limped his jumper at the siren of the 1993 St Kilda match and pointed to his skin as a stand against racism.
“When Nicky lifted his jumper that day and pointed to his black skin in defiance of the racial abuse directed at him and other indigenous players in 1993, it made me sad and angry that this champion of the game would have to do that,” Archie said in a statement.
“More importantly, I think, is what the jumper meant to Nicky and many others on that fateful day. What I saw was not just an Aboriginal man proud of his heritage and people, but a young man who had made it. He was an elite sportsman in the greatest game, Australian Rules Football, who played his heart out for that jumper.”
Archie Roach and band will perform ‘The Colour Of Your Jumper’ and ‘Heal The People’ at halftime at the Dreamtime @ G Essendon Vs Richmond match this Saturday, May 25.
Watch Archie Roach perform at Noise11.com.
