My Dreamtime Match by Jacinta Daniher & Taylor Hampton, ill. Janelle Burger
(Lothian Children’s Books, Hachette Australia)
“AFL is my number one,
I play until the day is done.
Today with every kick and bound,
We celebrate the Indigenous Round.
With every goal, I cheer with glee,
An AFL star I hope to be.
Footy and culture come together as one,
In this land underneath the southern sun.”
(My Dreamtime Match)
Interview with Jacinta Daniher and Taylor Hampton at Paperbark Words blog
Thank you for speaking to PaperbarkWords, Jacinta and Taylor.
We’ve spoken previously about Our Dance, your lively and colourful picture book for young children.
With illustrations by Janelle Burger, you’ve created another exuberant yet thoughtful book in My Dreamtime Match.
We’ll talk a little about your background first. Could you explain who you are and where you’re from?
How has this led to you writing picture books?
Jacinta
Taylor and I are a husband-and-wife author duo. We actually met in high school. Yes, it’s one of those classic high school sweetheart stories! We have two kids, and honestly, they’re the motivation for everything we do.
Our kids are fair skinned, and we really wanted them to feel connected to their culture and proud of who they are. We couldn’t really find books that reflected that, so we decided to create our own. Something that shows the diversity within Aboriginal culture, and something our kids could see themselves in.
Taylor
I’m a proud Ngiyampaa/Wiradjuri man. Jacinta and I both grew up in a small country town called West Wyalong, which is in Central NSW in Wiradjuri Country. There wasn’t a lot of cultural learning or celebration happening. There were little bits here and there, but not much that really helped you understand or feel proud of your identity.
Growing up, I didn’t see books that showed Aboriginal kids could look different, that you didn’t have to have dark skin to be proud of who you are.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve really connected back into my culture, and now it’s a big part of my life, especially with my kids. I don’t want them growing up feeling that same disconnection.
That’s why we write these books. We want kids to see themselves in them and feel proud. Even something as simple as thinking, “they look like me”, that can make a big difference. If I had something like this growing up, my story would’ve looked very different. I probably would’ve felt a lot more confident in who I was. That’s what we want for kids now.
Jacinta
Footy has always been a big part of both our lives. We both played for the same football netball club growing up, and my family has always been heavily involved in AFL.
Taylor’s also done a lot around designing guernseys for local clubs and helping organise Indigenous rounds, especially with the Beechworth Football and Netball Club.
Then one day I came across a Facebook post from the Leitchville Gunbower Football Netball Club showing their Dreamtime round guernsey, designed by Aunty Neva, and it just sparked something.
We reached out to her, which was probably a bit random from her point of view, and asked if we could use her design as inspiration for a children’s book. Through those conversations with Aunty Neva, she told us about her grandkids, Jahleel and Joel, and straight away we knew we wanted to build the story around them.
Taylor
Footy’s always been a big part of my life. I started playing when I was about 12 and I’m still out there having a run now, even if the body doesn’t quite keep up anymore. I’m back playing for West Wyalong, which is where I started, so that’s pretty special.
I’ve also been involved in designing guernseys and helping bring the Indigenous Round into our local league, which has been something I’m really proud of.
With My Dreamtime Match, we wanted to create something that feels real, something local, something people can connect to. Footy is such a big part of our communities, so it just made sense to tell a story through that lens.
How does your title, My Dreamtime Match, capture both the sport and the cultural background you are representing?
Taylor
My Dreamtime Match is about how everyone experiences these moments in their own way. Every club celebrates culture differently, every family has their own connection.
But it’s also about what it feels like on the inside. That pride, that excitement, that connection to culture and community. That’s what makes it your Dreamtime match.
Could you tell us something about this particular match?
Taylor
The story is told through Jahleel’s eyes. He’s so proud to be wearing his Nan’s design and playing alongside his cousin Joel.
We love bringing real people into our stories, so you’ve got Jahleel, Joel, and even our own kids, Ella and Arlo in there too. They actually help us along the way, they’re our little editors. Ella even made sure she got pink bows in her hair.
The book also shows things like the smoking ceremony before the game and explains the meaning behind the guernsey. It’s really about culture, family and that feeling you get being part of something special.
Their guernseys feature the long-necked turtle. Could you tell us a little more about the significance of their design?
Taylor
The guernsey features two long necked turtles at the swamp, which represents the coming together of Leitchville and Gunbower.
The turtle is also the totem of the Yorta Yorta people, so it carries strong cultural meaning. It’s about connection, community and respect for Country.
Even though I’m not Yorta Yorta, we worked really closely with Aunty Neva the whole way through. We made sure everything was right, the story, the wording, all of it. We didn’t move forward unless she was happy.
When she got her copy and shared how proud she was, that was a really special moment for us.
What is the difference between AFL and Marngrook?
Jacinta:
AFL is the modern game we all know today. It’s professional, structured, and played across the country.
Marngrook is a traditional Aboriginal game that was played long before AFL existed. It’s widely recognised as an inspiration for the game we see today.
So in a way, Marngrook is where it all began, and AFL is what it’s grown into. We wanted to acknowledge both in the story.
What is something that readers may not pick up at a first reading?
Jacinta:
Oh, we love sneaking in little details! Here are some things to look out for if you peek a bit closer:
- On the very first page, there’s a ‘Tuck Shop’ in the background. Growing up, this was such a big part of our local footy memories. Taylor playing football, me playing netball, and then grabbing a pie or sausage roll. If you look hard enough, you’ll even see a tiny picture of a pie and sauce on the menu.
- In smaller towns, people often park around the boundary and watch the game from fold-up chairs. So we included that little touch to make it feel real.
- One of the kids on the opposite side wears headgear. That was inspired by my brother Jeremy, who was always the only one wearing headgear on the field. He was small but fearless, always going head first into the action!
- You’ll notice that we have Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin illustrated in the book. Taylor was able to reach out to both Micky O and Adam to get permission from them to use their likeness. They were Taylor’s idols growing up watching them play (he is a big Swannies fan), so to get their permission was a proud moment for us!
- The opposition’s guernsey? That’s actually a design Taylor created for his football team, Beechworth Football and Netball Club. So not only were we able to have Aunty Neva’s design, but we were also able to have Taylors design in there too, which makes this book feel even more personal.
- And here’s a fun one: at the end, it says, ‘win or lose, we all had fun,’ but if you check the scoreboard in the background, you’ll see Jahleel’s team actually won 51–45! Much to Taylor’s disappointment given that his team lost!
We love adding little Easter eggs, it makes the story feel like a treasure hunt for readers who want to explore every page.
Which of Janelle Burger’s illustrations best captures the essence of the game or its players? How?
The illustration of Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin in the book really stands out for us.
They were heroes for a lot of young Aboriginal kids, including Taylor, so having them alongside the younger characters shows that connection between generations. It shows how far things have come, but also how important those role models are in shaping the next generation.
What do you hope children understand or remember from My Dreamtime Match?
We just want kids to walk away feeling proud. Proud of who they are, proud of where they come from.
For Aboriginal kids, we want them to see themselves in the story and feel strong in their identity.
And for all kids, we want them to understand and respect culture, and see how deadly it is when people come together, celebrate and support each other.
At the end of the day, it’s about belonging. Feeling like you’re part of something, and knowing that who you are is something to be proud of, regardless of where you come from or what colour skin you have.
Anything else you’d like to add?
For us, it always comes back to our kids. We started this so they could see themselves in stories and feel proud of who they are, and if other kids get that same feeling from it, that’s what it’s all about.
My Dreamtime Match at Lothian Books, Hachette Australia
Our Dance at Paperbark Words blog
Jacinta Daniher and Taylor Hampton at Birrang Cultural Connections
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