The Bendigo Strikers will commemorate the Victorian Netball League's First Nations Round this week with a specially designed netball uniform bib.
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The Strikers' championship and 23-and-under squads will wear the special bib in Wednesday night's games against Southern Saints in Melbourne.
Designed by Stephen Korp, the bib pays respect to the Dja Dja Wurrung country that the club is situated on and the Strikers' story.
A Wamba Wemba man from Lake Boga who is living, working and raising his family on Djaara country, Korp has a passion for telling stories and connecting with culture through art and making artefacts.
"I'm honoured to be asked to design Bendigo Strikers first indigenous bib,'' Korp said.
"Having the Strikers in Bendigo is such a great thing for our community. It was a pleasure to hear about the Strikers story and turn that into this design."
The bib design includes a meeting circle in the middle that represents the Bendigo Strikers community, with seven women sitting around the meeting circle that makes a netball team.
Two smaller meeting circles represent both of the Bendigo Strikers teams, with the river lines making them connect together.
Kangaroo feet on the outside represents the journey that the Bendigo community and board members had to jump and hurdle to make this happen.
"This speaks to our great game, our fantastic region and most of all our history. We are proud to have such a meaningful connection to country," Strikers president Melinda Keighran said.
The Strikers were originally scheduled to play their third and final home game of the season at Red Energy Arena this Sunday, June 2.
That home match has been rescheduled to Sunday, June 23.
Both Strikers' teams enter Wednesday night's games full of confidence.
The 23-and-under squad is coming off two-straight wins, while the championship team won its most recent match against Geelong and then had a much-needed bye to freshen up the playing group.
Championship defender Heather Oliver said the Strikers were building momentum.
"Coming into the second half of the season both teams now have a feel for the other teams in the competition,'' Oliver said.
"We've been working really hard and, hopefully, we can reward ourselves in some winnable games coming up.
"The opportunity is there for us, but both teams have to put four quarters together because if you play one bad quarter at VNL level the opposition take full advantage.
"We're pretty excited for the second half of the season."
The backbone of the Strikers' championship squad success has been the play of their three defenders - Sandhurst trio Oliver, Ruby Turner and Charlotte Sexton.
Oliver and Turner rotate between goal defence and wing defence, with Sexton at goal keeper.
"We just know how each other plays and we have confidence in each other,'' Oliver said.
"We still have a bit to work on, but it is gelling for us.
"Charlotte and Ruby are just so good, they make it easier work for me."
The championship team is ninth on the ladder with four wins and seven defeats, while the 23-and-under squad is 10th with three wins and 10 losses.
