The AFL's annual rounds recognising and celebrating indigenous players and culture is named in honour of Sir Doug Nicholls.
Played across Rounds 10 and 11, the much-anticipated weekends of football see all 18 clubs participate in donning unique and specifically designed Indigenous guernseys that have various meanings and symbolism.
Check out your club's 2024 Indigenous guernsey and the story behind its design...
The overarching theme of the guernsey is connection and the artwork includes the names of all of Adelaide's past and present Indigenous players, celebrating their contributions to the club, the game, and the wider community.
Crafted by forward Izak Rankine, who has worked alongside his cousin and artist Harley Hall, in a celebration of their shared Ngarrindjeri heritage.
The theme of the jumper is born from the Lardil phrase, ‘Merri Dilangka', which for Lardil people means listening to the past, and present and moving forward together, which was an important aspect to incorporate into the guernsey for Wilson.
Carlton's 2024 Indigenous guernsey was designed by Wiradjuri man of the Narrandera Murrumbidgee River People Stewart James, who is also the cousin of defender Zac Williams.
The artwork name Ngiyanhi [nee-ya-nee], comes from a Wiradjuri word meaning 'we all'.
The name encompasses the deep connection and sense of belonging and purpose that ‘we all', as Carlton family, feel.
Designed by Uncle Trevor Davis, father of former Collingwood player and the Club's Cultural Development Manager Leon Davis, the inspiration for the SDNR guernsey design stems from a piece of art by Uncle Trevor called “Healing.”
Uncle Trevor, who is a proud Wadjuk, Ballardong, Wilman, Wongi and Noongar man, created the painting that depicts a healing process that the club has embarked on over the past few years. The use of rain in the artwork is to represent the club being cleansed.
Design elements and their meanings from Uncle Trevor's art have been transferred onto the Club's black and white striped guernsey.
Designed by Tiwi artist Russellina Puruntatameri, the guernsey is intricately crafted with symbolic elements, embodying the rich culture of the Tiwi community.
Club legend Michael Johnson and cousin Daniel McHenry have paid respect to their family bloodlines in the Dockers' Indigenous Jumper this year, which will be worn during Walyalup's Sir Doug Nicholls Round games against Euro–Yroke (St Kilda) and Collingwood.
“It is about the bloodlines, where we come from, and who has paved the path for us young Aboriginal men and women in our families,” Johnson said.
The guernsey, designed by Keerray Woorroong and Yorta Yorta woman Sherry Johnstone, speaks to the importance of looking after our environment and celebrating the unique elements of the Australian landscape that First Nations people have called home for more than 60,000 years.
The guernsey is designed by Larrakia artist Trent Lee and will be worn for two matches in the Top End.
The Darwin/Larrakia design features two predominant elements. The Sun design symbolises the iconic sunset at Darwin's Mindil Beach, which is recognised worldwide and holds a special story to the Larrakia people.
The design also features the Rainbow Serpent, the dreaming and creator of life that has created the earth and the lands that the Suns will play on in Darwin.
The jumper was designed by Leeanne Hunter, who previously designed the Sir Doug Nicholls Round jumper for the Giants' AFL team in 2019 as well as the GIANTS' current AFLW Indigenous jumper.
The jumper is called Ngurra, which means country and connection in Darug language, the native tongue of the lands of Western Sydney.
Hawthorn great and First Nations trailblazer Chance Bateman has been revealed as the inspiration behind the Hawks' 2024 AFL Indigenous Guernsey after it was unveiled ahead of Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
Dolman, whose artist name is J.D. Penangke (pronounced pen-ung-gah), is passionate about sharing her culture through art and also has a close connection to Bateman.
The garment contains a range of intricate and sentimental elements that centre around a Hawk in the centre of the guernsey. The Hawk represents the common ground that is the Hawthorn Football Club.
The design overall not only tells the story of Bateman's journey in representing the Hawks but also pays homage to those who have come before him and made a mark on the club.
The design was created by Mali Isabel, an Arabana and Kokatha artist living on Kaurna Country, whose family's special connection to the Melbourne Football Club is at the core of this year's jumper.
Mali's intricate art, centred around a heart, tells the story of her younger brother and passionate Demons fan KC Melbourne Herriman-Place.
Designed by Wemba Wemba, Gunditjmara, Ngadjonji and Taungurung artist Emma Bamblett, the guernsey will be worn against Essendon in Round 10 and Yartapuulti (Port Adelaide) in Round 11.
The design, titled ‘Kangaroo Way', was inspired by the club's First Nations players, including Yorta Yorta man Jy Simpkin and Wangkathaa Noongar man Robert Hansen Jr, the unity of the club and its existence on Wurundjeri Country.
It incorporates North Melbourne's traditional royal blue and white stripes as the base and kangaroo tracks throughout to represent the journey of the club.
This year's striking strip, inspired by the essence of family, was a collaboration between two-time premiership player, Norm Smith medallist and 200-game player, Byron Pickett, and his first cousin Melanie Pickett.
The guernsey depicts Byron's strong connection to family, to the land, and to the Port Adelaide region, as well as the seven current First Nations Yartapuulti AFL players.
Richmond's Indigenous jumper has been designed by Maurice Rioli Jnr and his mother, Alberta Kerinauia.
The design speaks of the deep connection between the Rioli family and the Richmond Football Club.
Maurice Rioli Senior played 118 matches for Richmond and was a Norm Smith and Jack Dyer medallist.
The design features two family totems - the turtle (father) and the crocodile (mother).
Natural elements of Euro-Yroke (St Kilda) are reflected across each tri-colour design, beginning with the water and waves of Nairm (Port Phillip Bay), moving to the sandy shorelines and through to the coastal vegetation further in-land; all meeting as one earth under the stripes of Euro-Yroke.
The story continues at the back of the guernsey through the silhouette of Naarm's (Melbourne's) hills, with an additional artwork featuring a symbol of mobs journeying to a central gathering point, in this case, the club.
Similar to last year's Sir Doug Nicholls Round guernsey, the names of the 33 Indigenous players to have represented the Saints at AFL/AFLW level - up until the end of last season - are printed onto the jumper, sitting above artwork of a boomerang and traditional spears in reference to the strength of Euro-Yroke's First Nations people.
The 2024 Marn Grook guernsey, designed by proud Yuin artist Richard Campbell in conjunction with our ARA First Nations Foundations program.
Richard, who is the uncle of former Sydney Swans player James Bell, joined kids who took part in cultural sessions as part of the inaugural ARA First Nations Foundations in Shellharbour.
The artwork depicts Richard's totem, Gunyu, the black swan. The swan's feathers transform into an elder, Gumaraa, meaning ‘wise old man'.
Gumaraa is looking back through his totem and sees the past, present, and the future of his country. He is the warrior of his people who represents the land of which he is from.
The Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge represent the present and the future. They are built on Gumaraa's homelands and are surrounded by the vast waters where he fished.
The four circles represent Gumaraa's family and his tribe. They represent unity and tribes coming together from all over Sydney.
The three Aboriginal warriors are spearing fish for the Sydney Swans. They represent the past and present Swans players.
The two hands on the back of the guernsey represent coming together and connection.
Gumaraa still roams around in his spirit form of Gunyu, the black swan, looking back on country.
Designed by Yamatji artist Loretta Egan, a lifelong Eagles fan and niece of renowned actor Ernie Dingo, the 'Ngularl' [Wedge-Tailed Eagle] has also been influenced by former club champion Chris Lewis.
"The 'Ngularl' is the Wedge-Tailed Eagle in Wajarri language, surrounded by the map of WA - the home of the Eagle - where it stands proud and strong, facing east ready for anything that comes its way," Egan said.
"The circle in the centre represents the Eagles' nest. The U-shapes around the circle represent people sitting around the home of the Eagles. The four stars represent the four premierships we have won."
The design for the Bulldogs' 2024 indigenous guernsey is inspired by the communities and land in Victoria's west, a region filled with magnificent mountain ranges, waterways and multicultural communities.
The traditional bands on the guernsey have been replaced with riverways that connect all the different countries of the west. These waterways are important parts of our dreamings that have provided and cared for us for over 65,000 years. They are also represented within the background of the artwork.
Arch symbols in the bottom right-hand corner represent mountain ranges, strong features throughout our dreamings and important land markings for us on which ceremonies take place.
The symbols that run alongside the mountains represent communities across the west, which contain so many different members of different cultures who come together in places like Ballarat, contributing to so much beautiful diversity within the First Nations community.
