The 14 waterholes woven into the striking Australian jersey to be worn against the All Blacks on Saturday night represent the 14 indigenous players who have become Wallabies.

Arguably, none is more important than McDermott, who has pioneered better indigenous rugby pathways for 25 years and championed equal opportunities as a barrister.

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McDermott, 77, became just the second Aboriginal to play for the Wallabies when he faced the All Blacks as a winger for two Tests in 1962.

He switched to rugby league for Wynnum Manly Seagulls in Brisbane a year later rather than cowtow to South Africa’s apartheid policies for the 1963 tour.

“I was told by (the Department of) External Affairs that if I wanted to tour as a Wallaby I would have to sign a document to be an honorary white so I pulled the pin,” McDermott said.

McDermott told that story at the Queensland indigenous Sports Awards where he also said his idols as a kid from Eidsvold in country Queensland were Aboriginal boxers like Dave Sands.

McDermott has been a different style of fighter because his Lloyd McDermott Rugby Development teams banged down rugby’s barriers even when code bosses offered little help.

“We decided to take the game to the black people because you don’t have to be Einstein to realise most Aboriginal people can’t afford to send kids to rich, private schools,” McDermott said.

“It was only by coincidence that the Ellas and I went to schools that played rugby (to even have a pathway to the Wallabies).”

Churchie old boy McDermott will be a guest at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night when Beale will be a key playmaker represented by another of those waterhole symbols on his own jersey.

“Being an indigenous man, to be able to recognise those guys who have had a huge impact on the game and their communities, is something I’ll definitely be taking out on the field,” Beale said.

Watching video of the mercurial Ella brothers Mark, Glen and Gary excel in the late 1970s and early ’80s was as important as appreciating more modern figures.

“Awesome. These guys were role models and someone I always aspired to (be) along with the likes of Andrew Walker and Wendell Sailor,’ Beale said.

“They had a huge impact in the way they liked to play the game. I kinda like to think I deliver a similar style.”

For the Wallabies to be the first national team of any code to wear an indigenous jersey spells inspiration and reconciliation.

“Definitely. That’s part of the jersey being designed to have an impact on boys and girls out there wanting to one day be a Wallaby (or women’s sevens player),” Beale said.

“It’s something I’m very passionate about and hopefully this is the start of something really important.”

Significantly, Beale’s Wallabies teammates share his passion to make this about indigenous and non-indigenous alike because they are such a multicultural team.

“I know a lot of the boys are super excited about wearing the jersey which makes it more special,” Beale said.

Beale even entertained that a pre-Test Aboriginal dance might one day have a place to embrace indigenous culture although it would not be Wallabies performing it like the haka.

“There’s got to be something powerful in that when paying respects to a nation’s first people by the South Africans and New Zealanders started a long time again (in their anthems),” Beale said.

“We can definitely draw a lot of powerful things there that can hopefully give us that advantage that I think the All Blacks and South Africans do (get).”