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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Essendon

Collaboration and creativity were core focuses for Lucas Waddleton (a Tyerrernotepanner student from Northern Tasmania) and Lawson Richards (a non-Indigenous student) when creating Essendon's 2025 Dreamtime guernsey.

2025's design represents the unity of indigenous and non-indigenous people coming together. Further to that, the gum tree signifies a family tree where the circles represent different groups of people who become connected at a gathering place of humans and animals.

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