As we near Rounds 10 and 11, the AFL competition will take a moment to recognise the contributions of the Indigenous people to the game over a two-week block, dedicated to Sir Doug Nicholls.

All 18 clubs have specifically designed guernseys to commemorate the fortnight of football, celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.

Nicholls lived in the 20th century and was a major catalyst for reconciliation, becoming the first Aboriginal Australian to be knighted in 1972.

He also played for Northcote and Fitzroy in the 1920s and 1930s, as well as representing Victoria in football.

Nicholls was a VFA premiership player for Northcote in 1929 and coached them in 1947.

Below are the write-ups from the clubs detailing the meanings and reasoning behind the designs.

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Euro-Yroke (St Kilda)

St Kilda Football Club will once again proudly go by the Boon Wurrung name Euro-Yroke during this year's Sir Doug Nicholls Round, commemorated through a striking guernsey designed by Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera.

The artwork tells the story of Wanganeen-Milera's upbringing and football journey in South Australia, surrounded by family, friends, and his yawa (journey) to Euro-Yroke.

The design's three central elements feature large gathering symbols representing the defender's two cultural groups - the Narungga and Kokatha peoples - surrounded by the community and family who have supported his journey. The third, positioned at the heart of the guernsey, symbolises Moorabbin, with surrounding motifs signifying the club's current First Nations players.

Other key elements include Nasiah's family totems - the wedge-tailed eagle and the kangaroo – with the footprints representing Nasiah's journey to the Saints and dot art forming the backdrop of the piece, embodying fans and others woven into his story.

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