Phillips, who was given the photo by a relative of some of the players featured, was drawn to the different jumpers some of the players are wearing.
“I found the photo itself fascinating, especially being from 115 years ago,” Phillips said.
“Then I noticed that four of the indigenous players have a different shirt on and I wondered if there was a story or a reason behind that and if anyone in the area might know.”
The AFL held its Sir Doug Nicholls Round at the weekend, which celebrates indigenous culture in Australia and is named after a Yorta Yorta legend.
Clubs also wore intricate designs on their jumpers, with Collingwood's kit put together by Yorta Yorta artist Ross Morgan Sr and his sons Ross Jr and Wayne.
It took inspiration from the Cummeragunja walk-off — where Cummeragunja Mission residents left the site in protest to surrounding towns in 1939 to take a stand against disheartening government treatment.
The mission itself was near Barmah, and the footballers wearing different jumpers in the 1905 picture — Stewart Morgan, Ridley Barber, Percy Barber and Bert Cooper — are likely to have played football for Cummeragunja and were filling in for the Redgummers.
The jumper itself bears similarities to Collingwood's in its structure, with vertical stripes the clear pattern compared to the diagonal sash of the other players.
Anyone who can shed more light on the photo can email sport@sheppnews.com.au or phone 5820 3228 to speak to the sports desk.
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