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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Western Bulldogs

Designed by Kamilya Lowana White, a proud Aboriginal artist born and raised in Naarm with Kija Bardi heritage on her father's side, the guernsey honours the Bulldogs' current First Nations players and their teammates while also celebrating the Club's reconciliation journey.

A meeting place symbol is central to the design, signifying the Club as a gathering point for its five AFL/W First Nations players.

Each section surrounding this symbol is laid out like a map, moving from Tasmania (bottom red), Victoria (bottom dark blue), south Western Australia (middle blue), north Western Australia (upper red), to central Australia (upper blue).

These represent the Country of respective First Nations players and significant people who have supported them throughout each of their journeys.

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