It started as a poster to wave at games in honour of the Canberra Capitals' towering centre Alex Bunton. Now it's a T-shirt. And a fundraiser. The cult item has already raised $1500 and counting for the Domestic Violence Crisis Service in Canberra.
WIN-TV journalist Emma Groves is a big fan of Bunton, who returned to the WNBL last year after 11 knee surgeries while also juggling the new responsibilities of being a single mum to daughter Opal-Mae, now two.
Groves said when she spoke to Bunton about her return to the Capitals, she sensed some tentativeness and wanted to celebrate her and her bold step back onto the court.
"I thought, 'If you're not going to hype you up, heck, I'll do it'," Emma said, with a laugh.
So she made a Bunts poster to wave at a Capitals game.
"The first one said 'It's Bunton Season' kind of like 'huntin' season' and I thought I'd hold that one for the whole season," Emma said.
But Bunton liked the poster and encouragement so much she jokingly asked Groves to make a new one every week.
What’s better than @Bunts1310 on a poster? Bunts on a t-shirt!
— Emma Groves (@EmGrovesy) February 26, 2022
And cash to Domestic Violence Crisis Service 💙 lmk if you want one 💙@WNBL@UCCapitals#WNBL22pic.twitter.com/OynAjg4JT6
"So the second one said, 'Bear the Brunt of Bunt' and I made her into a little warrior woman with an opal tattooed on her shoulder for her little girl," Emma said.
"Then, I got a season pass for the Caps and people around me were getting into it. Kind of like, 'Oh, what have you got coming for next week' and it was kind of cool.
"The next poster I did was I made her into the shark from Jaws and instead of saying 'You'll never go in the water again', it says 'You'll never go in the paint again'." Certainly not against such a fierce defender as the 196cm-tall Bunton, a former player for the Opals.
That went down a treat so the Jaws design poster has become a T-shirt, with all proceeds going to the DVCS at the request of Bunton who is herself a domestic violence survivor.
And everyone from Deputy Chief Minister Yvette Berry to Labor MLA Marisa Paterson to Opposition leader Elizabeth Lee has already bought the T-shirt.
"The Caps don't have a significant merch range and I thought I'd make five T-shirts and sell it to friends," Emma said.
But sales have gone off and haven't slowed down.
A bonus of it all is that Emma and Alex have now become firm friends.
Alex now waits and looks to see each game what Emma's new poster will say.
"It always puts a smile on my face," she said.
And Alex was thrilled to be on the T-shirt and helping other DV survivors.
"It's an honour," she said.
You can get a Bunts T-shirt by contacting Emma Groves via Twitter @EmGrovesy
