Gippsland League is proud to unveil a special Indigenous dress design that will be worn by the Gippsland Stars during the Victorian Netball League First Nations Round on Wednesday, May 27.
The VNL First Nations Round aligns with National Reconciliation Week and celebrates the culture, stories and contributions of First Nations peoples within netball communities across Victoria. Clubs throughout the competition will wear specially designed dresses and take part in cultural initiatives to recognise and celebrate Indigenous heritage.
The Gippsland Stars will proudly wear the dress when they take on Bendigo Strikers as part of the competition-wide celebration.
The Gippsland Stars’ commitment to honouring First Nations Round is proudly supported by our partner, VACCA. Strong Aboriginal families and communities means strong Aboriginal children. As Victoria’s peak voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, the Victorian Aboriginal Child and Community Agency has protected and promoted the rights of Aboriginal children, young people, families and community since 1977.
VACCA has supported the Gippsland League since 2024 and, in 2026, has come on board to support the Gippsland Stars and this special project.
Designed by Leonie Solomon Green (Monaro Ngarigo), the dress tells a powerful story of Country, culture and community connection across Gippsland. The dress has been designed with strong Gippsland influences, featuring symbols representing rivers, hills and mountains throughout the region. The blue oval shape surrounded by gold dots represents each girl within the program, while the symbols inside reflect Gippsland stories and identity. Stars featured throughout the design symbolise belief, pride and aspiration for the athletes who wear the dress.
The Gippsland Stars are honoured to have the design featured on the dresses and to help share its meaning, while also recognising its special connection to Gippsland Stars representative Anna Solomon.
A proud Dunghutti/Ngarigo Monero woman, Solomon has become a respected leader within the Gippsland Stars and broader Victorian netball pathway system. Solomon captained Victoria’s First Nations side in 2025 at the Netball Australia First Nations Tournament, after being selected to lead the state team for a second consecutive year.
The Victorian Netball League First Nations Round forms part of the 2026 VNL season and is one of the competition’s key celebration rounds, highlighting Indigenous culture while continuing to strengthen pathways and opportunities for First Nations athletes across the state.
Led by Solomon and Gippsland League General Manager Daniel Heathcote, the project continues the Gippsland Stars and Gippsland League’s ongoing commitment to celebrating First Nations contributions to netball and football. It follows the introduction of the Gippsland League’s Indigenous Round in 2025, which will again continue in 2026, led by Drouin Football Netball Club and Wonthaggi Power Football Netball Club.
