Emily’s Indigenous artwork inspires rising AFLW star
POSTED October 27 2023 , News, Old Girls, Senior School, Sports
A friendship forged in the St Mary’s Uniform Shop recently led to an Indigenous student’s artwork being showcased on one of Australia’s biggest sporting stages.
Ahead of starting her schooling journey at St Mary’s in 2021, Emily visited the School’s Uniform Shop to deck herself out in maroon from head to toe for her first year at St Mary’s – and that’s when she met Old Girl, Madi Scanlon (’18), who was working part-time in the shop while studying at university.
The girls started chatting and quickly realised that they shared a love of football.
“During that appointment, we just got along really well and had some great chats about footy,” Madi said.
“I told her that I did some coaching and tutoring at the school and told her that if she ever wanted to chat – whether it be about school or footy – that she could come and find me. She took me up on that offer, so I used to tutor her a little and then I coached her at IGSSA footy. Every time I was at the school, she visited me to have a chat and it naturally evolved into a friendship.”
When the girls first met, Madi was playing for Claremont in WAFLW. But in 2022, she was drafted to Fremantle’s AFLW team. To date, she has played 13 AFLW games for the Dockers.
During a catch-up in the Uniform Shop earlier this year, Madi came to Emily with a special request – one that she could not refuse.
“I walked into the shop and Madi asked me if I would be interested in painting her boots for Indigenous Round,” Emily said.
“Madi is a big inspiration for me. She used to give me lots of tips when she coached the IGSSA team and I have really valued our friendship, so, of course, I said yes.”
Drawing inspiration from artworks around her home, Emily created a powerful design that communicated a story of female empowerment and community.
“At the front of the boot, the artwork portrays people meeting and women sitting around the yam plants too. They are sourcing bushtucker for their mobs. Other elements of the painting represent meeting places and the gathering of people. The artwork on one side of the boots talks about waterholes and the animals that visit them,” Emily said.
Madi said that it was “empowering” to wear the boots featuring Emily’s inspired design during Fremantle’s two Indigenous Round fixtures against Geelong and St Kilda.
“I was the first player to get my painted boots back and all the girls said they were so deadly,” Madi said.
“It was empowering to be wearing such a special design. When I was kicking the ball, I just knew that Emily was by my side across those two rounds.
“It is pretty cool to have something that reminds you of a special connection that you have with a person.
“I’m going to wear the boots for the rest of the season because I love them so much.”
