“SEEING someone say, ‘I’m going to wear this guernsey and be proud to wear it and I’m okay with it’, that would make me smile.”

A member of the LGBTQI community.

Born and raised in Carlton. 

A passion for graphic design.

When Alex Bajada saw the opportunity to incorporate all these into one with Carlton’s 2019 Pride guernsey, he wasn’t going to miss the chance. 

After all, it incorporates who he is as a person. 

And, quite appropriately, there was only one word he could use to describe what he’d be feeling when he sees the Navy Blues run out in the jumper – his jumper - at Whitten Oval.

“Pardon the pun — I’d be proud,” Bajada said.

“What I saw in this was the opportunity to have every kid, every person, everyone realise that it’s okay and people support them.

“It shows the two clubs — Carlton and the Western Bulldogs — are saying ‘we’re going to play this game and be proud of the LGBTQI community’.”

Bajada fully understands the struggle with identity, with not knowing where to turn. Whilst he had a love for football growing up, he never quite felt like he belonged.

It was that chance to bring those two aspects, those two communities together which resonated with him. 

When he saw the opportunity to design the Pride guernsey on Carlton’s Instagram, he wanted to bring it to life. After three years in London and working on a campaign for Coca Cola, he still ranks this as one of his crowning achievements. 

“I’m a Carlton supporter, I was born in Carlton. I’m also a member of the LGBTQI community — I’m gay myself,” he said.

“That’s what really drew me to it, my love of football and being part of the LGBTQI community. I remember being a kid at Auskick and feeling pretty left out, back in the ‘90s.

“What this does is it represents who I am as a human being, as a person. What I love most about what this has done is it incorporates me as a person into my work.”

It was that emotion which came to life for Bajada when realising the Blues and the Bulldogs would play in their second annual AFLW Pride Game.

By his own admission, his past self couldn’t even imagine the events to come this Sunday.

“To be honest, back in the day — no,” he said.

“It’s so amazing to see what a massive step football has taken to be so inclusive of pride.

“Sport is a place where messages can be heard. It lets people know that it is okay to be part of the LGBTQI community and to be proud of it, to live your life and to be comfortable in your own skin.”

Onto the design — what does it mean? 

What does it mean to him?

What does it entail?

That can be broken down into three all-encompassing words.

“Support, unity and pride,” he said.

“What I wanted to do with this design in particular is - with pride - I didn’t want the colours to be held back. I really wanted the rainbow colours to be prevalent, to show how proud we are to be here. 

“Unity and support, what I wanted to do was capture that through the shapes of the design. What you’ll notice is there are some really cool intricacies where shapes marry up to other shapes, and they’re supported by other colours. 

“What I love about that is it represents culture colliding with one another, supporting and having unity within that.”

The sentiment that everyone has the right to feel comfortable in their own skin is what this Sunday represents, and it’s something that wasn’t lost on Carlton’s captain.

Bajada admitted that hearing those words from Brianna Davey was something which was particularly poignant throughout this whole process.

“I’ve seen what she has been saying and hearing what she’s been saying in interviews: to hear that, it makes me so happy,” he said.

“Growing up in Melbourne and being Melbourne-born and bred, to see a footballer speaking about it so openly and being proud of it and comfortable in your skin — for me, I thought ‘wow, good on you’. That’s amazing.”

Fans will also have the opportunity to own a piece of history, with player-issued guernseys available for auction straight after the Round 7 game. All proceeds from the auction will go directly to LBGTQI charity Minus18.