Indigenous actor Ernie Dingo has claimed that the West Coast Eagles’ long run of shocking form can be traced back to the club erroneously placing a ‘sacred’ First Nations symbol on their Sir Doug Nicholls round jersey in 2019.
The 66-year-old, who starred in Crocodile Dundee II, is an Eagles superfan who grew up in Western Australia and has spoken to the AFL about his team’s fortunes in recent years.
The club has struggled heavily over the past two seasons, missing out on the final in 2021 before finishing 17th last season. As a result, coach Adam Simpson’s job is reportedly hanging by a thread.
And Dingo has claimed that the use of feathers on the front of the club’s native jersey in 2019 has had a negative impact on the club.
“The game right now with our guys, I think it involves more than what’s being released into the public eye,” he said on the Yokayi Footy program.
Eagles superfan Ernie Dingo (pictured) made the startling claim that the club’s long run of terrible form is the result of a huge mistake they made with their native round strip in 2019
The Crocodile Dundee II star said the feathers depicted on the Guernsey (worn by Jake Waterman, pictured) should never have appeared
Dingo, pictured with partner Sally at the 2009 film premiere of the hit movie Bran Nue Dae wearing an Eagles scarf, is a longtime fan of the Perth-based club
“If we look at it from a blackfella point of view, it’s something spiritual that stops our game at the moment.
“A young cousin of mine, he designed the jersey for 2019, he put the so-called Waugal on the front, but when he put the Waugal on the front, he went a little bit further and did feathers and stuff so you don’t hear to put the to put on a sweater.
“Having the snake on it is fine, but he had gone a little bit further and I think it all came from there, they put a sacred object on the jersey without putting it through the cultural side of it all.”
In native culture, a feather foot is a sorcerer usually seen as an evil spirit that kills people. First Nations people saw a feather foot in the Albany Narrikup region of Western Australia, according to the Native Tribes of Central Australia book.
First Nations people are strongly connected to their land and their spiritual world, highlighting why examples like this mean so much and why sacred symbols and landmarks are so closely guarded.
Indigenous people who have seen the footage of Dingo’s statement believe he is onto something – as do many football supporters.
The Eagles, photographed after a horror loss to the Hawks in Indigenous Round, have sunk to some of the lowest depths in their history… is it due to a small detail in their jersey from years ago?
‘I did a cultural walk in Coodanup last year, the guide told us about the Wagyl and said exactly the same thing about the WCE Guernsey and the bad luck that comes with the Wagyl whiskers displayed on it. Interesting to see Ernie say it now too,” said a fan of Eagles rival Fremantle.
One of them warned that the matter must be taken absolutely seriously, saying clubs had nothing to lose by paying attention to details and spiritual signs.
‘Do not laugh. Something in this. Same as feng shui. Bad ju-ju is bad ju-ju. (Remember when Freo had an anchor around their neck). If it’s in the characters, it’s in their minds,” the fan wrote.
‘Connection between spiritual and psychological well documented (in indigenous culture). Nothing to lose by being mindful and respectful.’
Others begged the Eagles to look into it, saying the club is in a bad place and must do everything it can to pull itself out of the doldrums.
Indigenous star Liam Ryan (left) dons the jersey in 2019 – since then the Eagles have gone from bad to worse
Guernsey’s 2019 designer Darryl Bellotti, for his part, said he used the springs for a number of different reasons – and it wasn’t as part of the Waugal itself, apparently confirming Dingo’s claim that it was a departure from the sacred symbol. .
“In Guernsey, feathered wings wrap around the player like a booka, a traditional cloak of kangaroo skin,” Bellotti said at the time.
“But it also attracts synergies with ceremonial artworks.
“Sometimes during ceremonies the ancient people not only painted themselves, but also added feathers to their clothes as part of their ceremonial dress.
“(So) it takes elements of that and incorporates it into the design (of Guernsey).”