Lua Pellegrini, the designer of the Sydney Marn Grook guernsey has been nominated for NSW Young Woman of the Year. Image: Mick Bruzzese

The Sydney Swans congratulates designer of the club's Marn Grook guernsey, Lua Pellegrini, for being named a finalist for the 2023 NSW Young Woman of the Year award.

A proud Wiradjuri woman who grew up on Darug country, Pellegrini (who is also a GO Foundation scholar) is studying at UNSW and is Chairperson of the NSW Youth Advisory Council.

The winner of the NSW Young Woman of the Year award will be announced in March and will be awarded to a woman aged 18-30 years, who has demonstrated incredible potential or achievement in her chosen field, passion, or area of interest. Click here to view the shorlist.

Lua designed the 2022-2024 Marn Grook guernsey “Duguwaybul Yindyamangidyal” which means altogether respectfully: respect, gentleness, politeness, honour, careful, altogether as one. It represents connectedness, depicting the story of the 19 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men who have played for the Sydney Swans, both in the past and the present.

Lua also designs and paints AFL Balls which she donates to GO Foundation auctions, where the proceeds go towards the GO Foundation. Over the past two years Lua’s art has raised over $12,500 for the GO Foundation. Lua has also raised over $2,500 for Communityxchange in Mt Druitt.

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Behind the Marn Grook guernsey, with Lua Pellegrini

Our players will don a new Marn Grook guernsey in 2022, which has been designed by GO Foundation scholar, artist Lua Pellegrini.

Lua is passionate about Indigenous education. As a proud Wiradjuri woman, Lua has acted as an inspiration and mentor to younger students helping them grow in confidence, connection to culture and self-efficacy. This is seen through her willingness to share her story of challenges and achievements with school students, mentoring young Aboriginal women in schools on various projects and volunteering at Redfern Jarjum College over the last eight years. Lua also sits on the Moriah College Reconciliation Action Plan Committee and is the artist in residence of the Catholic Schools Guide.

Lua received an HSC All-round Achiever award in 2019 and was the recipient of the NESA Chairperson's Aboriginal Studies Award for the highest performing Aboriginal student in the 2019 HSC Aboriginal Studies course. She is now in her fourth year of university, studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts/Arts Majoring in Indigenous Studies.

Lua also cares for her younger brother Orlando, who has cerebral palsy, autism and other disabilities. Lua is a passionate advocate for Young Carers and has been a Young Carer Representative for NSW Carers for the last seven years and assists NSW Carers in delivering Young Carer awareness training to service providers. She also sits on the Blacktown City Council Access Advisory Committee, Aboriginal Advisory Committee and Youth Advisory Committee.

Lua was Chairperson of the NSW Youth Advisory Council in 2021-22, a role that she made her own. Lua was also part of launching the NSW Strategic Plan for Children and Young People 2022-2024.

Lua has a quiet, natural leadership style and is incredibly inclusive. The work she did in supporting the members of the Advisory Council, whilst advocating for her community demonstrated humility, maturity and empathy.

Lua is the kind of leader we need in our society today. Someone who is thoughtful, who understands the need for evidence and research, and who is inclusive of those around her. Lua engages across age groups and across demographics.