Hawthorn have renamed their home base of Waverley Park to โBunjil Bagoraโ, with the new name honouring and acknowledging Indigenous history.
The change was confirmed by the club on Monday, with the Hawks' nest set to be officially honoured with a formal event early next year to commemorate the change.
The blessing of using 'Bunjil Bagoraโ was given to the Hawks from Senior Elder Aunty Joy Murphy.
Bunjil - Wurundjeri Woiwurrung language - is known as a "symbolic portrayal of the ancestral creator spirit and is regarded as majestic, swift and fierce".
Hawthornย isย proud to welcome a new chapter in its history with the clubย renamingย its Waverley Park facility โBunjilย Bagoraโ.ย
๐ค๐โค๏ธ
DETAILS โฌ๏ธ
๐ : https://t.co/kdIniSLRVf pic.twitter.com/Hw0wc9iyM2
— Hawthorn FC (@HawthornFC) November 22, 2021
Bagora translates to "a cultural place, a reminder of a rich and surviving land of thousands of years".
Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett expressed his excitement on the renaming of the Hawks' headquarters.
โHawthorn is honoured to have been gifted the name Bunjil Bagora,โ Kennett said.
โAs a club, we are committed to celebrating the cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to drive positive social outcomes and change.
โBy giving our facility an Indigenous name, we are making an overt statement about this commitment.โ
The change in name is the latest major restructure at the Hawks, with club great Sam Mitchell stepping into his first season as senior coach of his former side in 2022.
Mitchell's move into the Hawks' hot seat comes in the departure of four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson, who left his post after 17 years with the club.
Kennett is also set to leave Hawthorn following a lengthy tenure as president, with his successor set to be appointed midway through next year.
