The Aboriginal Flag - once the centre of the game is now the centre of a dispute.
As Sir Doug Nicholls Round approaches it is devastating to have the AFL confirm that the Aboriginal Flag will not be painted in the centre of the ground this year. The AFL will make an official statement on Monday at the start of the Sir Doug Nicholls Round (previously Indigenous Round) about why the flag has disappeared and their formal position on the issue.
We hope that the absence of the flag is for the greater good and the AFL use their platform of influence for genuine change.
Collingwood Football Club has announced its support of the Free the Flag Campaign with players training in 'Free the Flag' Campaign t-shirts at their training session prior to their Sir Doug Nicholls Round game against the Kangaroos.
With an increase in media coverage on the licensing agreements currently holding the Aboriginal Flag hostage, we urge you to continue to advocate for change to see the Aboriginal Flag on the same footing as the 'Australian Flag' and freed from it's copyright chains. Fight for Flag Equality alongside us.
As a reminder, here's 6 things you can do to help to #FreeTheFlag:
1. Share this #PrideNotProfit petition with your circles of influence.
2. Write to your local Member of Parliament asking them to act on this issue on your behalf. Use our template here but get creative with the subject line so it doesn't get filtered;)
3. Rep some Free the Flag merch! Wear your values on your tee and use your clothing to start conversations...you're a walking billboard - make it count.
4. Raise awareness and continue having conversations about the issue. Check out the Free the Flag Campaign Mind Map, a visual summary for a great resource to share.
5. Donate to the Free the Flag Fighting Fund 'Go Fund Me' (if you can) to support the Campaign with resource to continue this fight.
6. Use the Free the Flag logo to temporarily replace the Aboriginal Flag until it's free. Think email signatures, website acknowledgements, uniforms etc.
You can reach us at hello@clothingthegap.com.au if you'd like to get in touch.
Remember, its a privilege not to be political. We can all do something.
Stay tuned for more updates from the Campaign team.