AFL North West: Tamworth Kangaroos unveil new jerseys ahead of Indigenous Rounds

The Walcha product is a proud member of the Dunghutti tribe, which is based around the mid-north coast of NSW.

During his childhood, Bloomfield said, there was no real focus on his cultural background. But as he got older, and more of his family returned to town, he got "really into" learning about his Indigenous roots.

"In my later years, my family moved back to the area which brought a lot more knowledge from our tribe that's been passed down," Bloomfield said.

Given the 22-year-old's deep respect for his heritage, he was thrilled when the Tamworth Kangaroos unveiled their latest playing jerseys on Thursday night.

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The strips are double-sided with an Indigenous design on one side, which will be on display during AFL North West's upcoming Indigenous rounds over the next two weekends. Then, during the rest of the season, the players can turn the jerseys inside-out and wear their regular colours.

They were designed by local Indigenous artist, Jodie Herden, and make Bloomfield "proud to be Indigenous".

"[I want to] show my skills in this design and get it out into the community," he said.

Using the traditional Indigenous style of painting, the jerseys depict the AFL North West teams, the community, the country and riverside, and the players.

Kangaroos head coach, Stuart Goldfinch, had a small hand in the design, said they are intended to be a message not just to the club and the players, but the broader community.

"I think it's important that the community sees that we're embracing cultures, whether it's Indigenous, European, Middle Eastern, it doesn't matter where people come from," Goldfinch said.

"They're always welcome to come to our club and play footy. Experience, no experience, different culture - it doesn't matter. We'll accept anyone."

Bloomfield, meanwhile, "loves" the new jersey, and can't wait to don it in the Kangaroos' clash against the Inverell Saints this Saturday at No. 1 Oval.

The Saints are currently atop the AFL North West men's ladder with three wins from three games this season, the most recent of which was a 49-point thumping of the Tamworth Swans last weekend.

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