EVERY AFL club's Indigenous Guernseys for Sir Doug Nicholls Round

As the Sir Doug Nicholls rounds approach, all 18 clubs are ready to celebrate their Indigenous players and club members, both past and present. Each season the clubs design guernseys to commemorate the occasion, with this year's theme being, ‘Our Legacy – This is Us'. Take a look at each teams guernsey for this season, and decide which design is best. Adelaide The Crows' guernsey has been designed by Ben Davis, who is apart of the Crows playing group. The guernsey features dhoeri, a traditional head dress which is a significant part of Torres Strait Islander culture. It also features a large turtle, a hammerhead shark and fish which pay homage to the Torres Strait Island people. [caption id="attachment_84354" align="alignnone" width="1312"] Source: Adelaide Football Club Media[/caption] Davis told the club website on how the guernsey represents his personal story of cultural discovery, and what it means to design the guernsey that the team will play in. "The design symbolises me finding out a bit more about my culture, a bit more about myself and diving into things I didn’t think about too much before," Davis told the club website. "Having this opportunity and being tied to the Club in this way forever will be something I can show my kids one day." "It is one of the proudest moments of my life." https://twitter.com/Adelaide_FC/status/1392049340651380741 Brisbane Triple premiership Lions player, Chris Johnson, has designed the Lions Indigenous guernsey for 2021. Johnson is a proud Gunditjmara man from South West Victoria, and played for both the Fitzroy Lions which then became the Brisbane Lions. Johnson decided to create an Indigenous guernsey that represents the history of the Fitzroy Football Club. "It was a huge responsibility as it was the first ever Fitzroy Indigenous guernsey and I wanted to represent every Indigenous player that represented Fitzroy," Johnson told the club website. The guernsey features the classic FFC logo in the middle, with six semi circle shapes beneath the logo, celebrating the 13 Indigenous players that played for the club. https://twitter.com/brisbanelions/status/1396284749350592516?s=20 The guernsey also features six red circles at the bottom of the jersey representing the grounds that have housed the club throughout the clubs 138 year history. "Each of those red circles are a campfire or a waterhole or any place where people would traditionally gather together, in this case it can also represent the MCG, and the figures sitting around them are the 28 players I played alongside in those Grand Final triumphs." https://twitter.com/brisbanelions/status/1396345145587507201?s=20 Carlton Carlton's 2021 Indigenous guernsey has been designed by Melbourne artist and proud Gunditjmara woman, Laura Thompson. Thompson consulted with the seven active Indigenous Carlton players in Eddie Betts, Liam Jones, Jack Martin, Zac Williams, Sam Petrevski-Seton, Madison Prespakis and Natalie Plane to create a guernsey that pays tribute to each of their mob names where the players' families came from. The guernsey features campfires on the shoulders symbolizing the entire Carlton family uniting together as the Navy Blue. There is also designs of the Yarra River, known as the Birrarung, that flow up the guernsey which represent spiritual relevance to the Wurundjeri people and their history. https://twitter.com/CarltonFC/status/1397111445482049538?s=20 Carlton defender and proud Kija man, Liam Jones, told the club website of the privilege and honour that he felt in being able to contribute to the design of the guernsey. "It was a real honour to work with Laura and our six other Indigenous players to create this year’s guernsey, which we all feel a very strong connection to," Jones said. "To have been involved in the design process and have the guernsey be representative of who we are and where we have come from is very special." https://twitter.com/CarltonFC/status/1397110114432081926?s=20 Collingwood Collingwood's 2021 Indigenous guernsey has been designed by proud Yorta Yorta and Gunnai man, Dixon Patten. The main design features two magpies with outstretched wings soaring through the sky. Magpies are seen in Aboriginal communities and families as nurturers who guide the younger generations, which is important for the Indigenous community. The background of the black and white stripes feature gum leave patterns, which represent cultural and personal growth. https://twitter.com/CollingwoodFC/status/1397034965653622784?s=20 Patten emphasised the importance of Aboriginals gaining exposure through the AFL and what it means for his community. "It's really important for Aboriginals to see themselves on screen, to be celebrated and feel connected. It is massive for our community," Patten told the club website. Essendon Essendon's 2021 Indigenous guernsey has also been designed by Dixon Patten, and tells the story of Norm McDonald, the first ever Aboriginal player for Essendon from the Gunditjmara community. The red-tailed black cockatoo on the guernsey and the feathers represent people from all races, religions, genders and backgrounds coming together to unite as one community. The eel traps and lake systems in the background represent the Gungitjmara community and the way that these systems allowed the community to flourish. https://twitter.com/essendonfc/status/1391692668028166149?s=20 Fremantle Fremantle's 2021 Indigenous jersey has been designed by past player Des Headland, AFLW Mikayla Morrison, and Indigenous artist Kevin Bynder. All designers are related, with Morrison being Headland's niece, and Bynder being Headland's first cousin. The main design on the front of the guernsey tells the stories of Headland and Morrison's families, with the two boomerangs making the shape of an anchor, similar to the one that Headland wore when he played for Fremantle. The back of the guernsey shows a map of Rottnest Island, which acknowledges the tragic event where 373 Aboriginal men lost their lives at the Rottnest Island prison camp between 1838 and 1931. A pre-game photo is also shown on the back of the guernsey from round 4, 2003, when Fremantle set the then AFL/VFL record of seven Indigenous players (33 Jeff Farmer, 10 Troy Cook, 28 Steven Koops, 43 Roger Hayden, 14 Antoni Grover, 11 Des Headland, 6 Dion Woods) all playing together in the same game. https://twitter.com/freodockers/status/1396695895517720576?s=20 Headland told the club website on how proud he was of being able to design the guernsey with his niece and cousin. "We’ve had a lot of great champions of past Aboriginal players that have played at Fremantle, and that’s the best thing about Fremantle, we’ve always had a great representation of culture around this club. To be asked to do a design, and do it with my first cousin in Kevin Bynder, he’s a great artist, and with my niece, Mikayla Morrison, it’s a special moment," Headland said. https://twitter.com/freodockers/status/1396697015698874368?s=20 Geelong Geelong's 2021 Indigenous guernsey has been designed by Corrina Eccles, who is a traditional owner of Wadawurrung Country. The 2021 edition of Geelong's guernsey looks to incorporate a number of landmarks across the Barwon region. https://twitter.com/GeelongCats/status/1396752835098775556?s=20 Eccles told the club website on the story behind the guernsey. "I wanted to tell the story of Wadawurrung country, the story of Djilang, and take people back on a journey to what the country was like prior to how we see the built environment today," Eccles said. "In the design I have the Kardiniyoo, the sunrise taking place and the two teams coming together to play what we call Marngrook. The Barwon River is a place that our eels would travel down. The eels then meet on our coast, our saltwater country." "Then we have our mountain country, our big hills and Bunjil. Bunjil watches over this country he created, he will often fly over the stadium, watching over country and the river." https://twitter.com/GeelongCats/status/1397066208495640582?s=20 The Cats will wear the guernsey in the upcoming Doug Nicholls Round, whilst the AFLW were able to wear the guernsey earlier in the year, marking the side's first Indigenous jersey in the AFLW. Gold Coast The Gold Coast Indigenous guernsey was a collaboration design between Yugambeh artist Luther Cora and Larrakia artist Trent Lee. The guernsey represents both Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander people, and a connection between the two artists' communities in Larrakia and Yugambeh. The guernsey features two turtles, one representing the Yugambeh on the back, and the other representing Larrakia on the front. The two turtles symbolises how although the two communities have their differences, the saltwater binds them together forming a strong bond, which is the main message that the guernsey is trying to convey. https://twitter.com/GoldCoastSUNS/status/1394413469399539714?s=20 Lee told the club website on how proud he was to design the guernsey this year. "It’s an honour for me to be able to be a part of the design process and just to be able to express myself and represent our people here in Darwin," Lee said. "I’m really excited to see the players wearing the guernsey and it’s really special to have Darwin included on this year’s guernsey." Greater Western Sydney The GWS Giants 2021 Indigenous guernsey has been designed by Indigenous forward Bobby Hill. The guernsey also includes totems from teammate Jeremy Finlayson, and former teammate Zac Williams. Some extra significance has come into play for Jeremy Finlayson, after learning this past week that he is related to Sir Doug Nicholls. "I found out a few months ago that I'm actually related to Sir Doug Nicholls, so it holds a special place in my heart right now. I'm super proud to be related to Sir Doug Nicholls,” Finlayson told AFL.com.au. "I ring dad’s cousin once a week, two times a week and get information off him, but for him to tell me that I'm related to Sir Doug Nicholls, I still can't get over it. But there is so much more information." Bobby Hill, whose ancestry relates to the Whadjuk-Ballardong Noongar community, was honoured to be asked to design the guernsey earlier in the year. "When I was asked to design the jersey I said 'yes' straight away and asked my family back home in WA what the meaning should be around it,” Hill said. "They had a big think about it and said ‘make it about family’, because the GIANTS are like a family, we're just a big brotherhood." https://twitter.com/GWSGIANTS/status/1397132252111278082?s=20 Hawthorn Hawthorn's 2021 Indigenous guernsey has been designed by Indigenous AFL legend and current Hawthorn player, Shaun Burgoyne. https://twitter.com/HawthornFC/status/1396970780529889282?s=20 Burgoyne is a heavily influential figure in the Indigenous community, and his design is sure to inspire his fellow teammates when they run out on the weekend. Burgoyne told Hawthorn FC about the story behind the guernsey. "This guernsey tells a story of bravery, brotherhood and family," Burgoyne said. https://twitter.com/HawthornFC/status/1397359044256428032?s=20 Melbourne The Melbourne 2021 Indigenous guernsey has been designed by Arrernte artist Amunda Gorey. Gorey looks to bring the theme of community to the fore front of the design, bringing everyone involved in the red and blue together. The lines on the design lead to the centre and that represents the journey that the club is on, whilst the semi circles on the guernsey represent support, shelter and safety. https://twitter.com/footyjumpers/status/1395571313545138181?s=20 Clubs at the community level who also have the Demons name have been recognised on the guernsey as well. North Melbourne North Melbourne's 2021 Indigenous guernsey was unveiled with a jumper launch last week headlined by Indigenous players Tarryn Thomas, Jed Anderson and Jy Simpkin [pictured] https://twitter.com/NMFCOfficial/status/1397394437832024064?s=20 Port Adelaide Port Adelaide's 2021 Indigenous guernsey has been designed by Aboriginal artist, Elle Campbell. Campbell explained the story behind her artwork 'Kangaroos on the Coast' which features on the Port guernsey for the upcoming Sir Doug Nicholls Round. "Mum sent me a video and some photos of some Kangaroos coming out of the scrubland down at the burial ground at Kingston in the South East," she told portadelaidefc.com.au. "The colours at the bottom represent the burial ground. The brown colours, the yellows colours all represent the sand, the soils, and the trees my family have planted there." "The red and the black represent my ancestors who are buried there." "The greens and the blues at the top represent Kingston beach. There’s a lot of seaweed there, hence the greens. The Kangaroos are coming down from the burial ground to have a dip in the water on a warm day, leaving their footprints along their path." https://twitter.com/PAFC/status/1397122771830800386?s=20 Controversy ensued when Port Adelaide were accused of stealing a design for their Indigenous guernsey, which turned out to be Campbell's exact artwork. Campbell called out the Power who then came forward and apologised to Campbell, with Campbell now being praised for her artwork. Richmond Richmond's 2021 Indigenous guernsey, which will be worn in the annual traditional Dreamtime game, has been designed by Shane Edwards and Jack Riewoldt. The guernsey tells the story of how the two players have grown since arriving at Richmond together in November 2006 The usual yellow sash is now a gum leaf, which symbolises Riewoldt's pre-game Dreamtime ritual where he would place a gum leaf handed to him during the ceremony into his sock. https://twitter.com/Richmond_FC/status/1397383949479944193 The gum leaf is split into two sides, the white side represents Riewoldt learning of Indigenous communities, and the orange side represent Edwards journey through football and life. Riewoldt told the club website on his growth and understanding of Indigenous culture since arriving at Richmond. "One thing I am really embarrassed about in my life is that I did not learn about Indigenous Australia and true Australia until I came to Richmond," Riewoldt said. "I feel like I have grown so much as a person by learning about Aboriginal Australian culture and Indigenous people and the programs I have been involved in over the journey." St Kilda Indigenous St Kilda legend, Nicky Winmar, has headlined the design of St Kilda's 2021 Indigenous guernsey. The guernsey is inspired by Winmar's family and history as well as his love for his Saints. Two willy wagtail birds make up the front of the guernsey, which are totem's of Winmar's family, with a silhouette of Winmar's famous 'I'm Black and I'm Proud' stance. The back of the guernsey sees the outline of Winmar's hands, representing teamwork and connection to the Saints. https://twitter.com/stkildafc/status/1397062112485122053?s=20 Sydney The Sydney Swans' 2021 Indigenous guernsey has been designed by artist Cheryl Davison. Davison's design includes a black swan, which represents teamwork and unity amongst the Aboriginal community. The Swans celebrate Marn Grook, which was the traditional Indigenous Australian football game which inspired the AFL. Western Bulldogs The Western Bulldogs' 2021 Indigenous guernsey has been designed by Lindsay Gilbee, as well as the Boandik people of Mount Gambier. Gilbee worked closely with Aboriginal artist Nathan Patterson to craft that is rich with his family history with the Boandik's, following his grandmother's passing last year. Gilbee continues to learn more about his family and history since designing the guernsey. "It’s something I’m extremely proud of, and I’m happy to share my story," Gilbee told the club website. "I’ve got a lot to learn. I don’t know it all. I’m really looking forward to the journey of finding out more about our history and our people." "I feel like I’ve got a sense of belonging now, which I’ve tried to tell through the artwork we’ve got on the jumper, that the boys get to run out with and wear with pride, and help represent the people, which it does." West Coast https://twitter.com/WestCoastEagles/status/1396994525726343170 Yamatji and Noongar artist Darryl Bellotti has designed West Coast's 2021 Indigenous guernsey for the upcoming Sir Doug Nicholls Round. Bellotti told the club website of the story behind the guernsey. "The guernsey tells the story of a Waugul [Rainbow Serpent] travelling across the land to watch the Eagles at the MCG," Bellotti said. "The Waugul is considered to be the Creator Spirit which inhabits the land." Bellotti's relative, Laurie Bellotti, played 24 games for the Eagles, giving Darryl personal meaning behind the guernsey.

EVERY AFL club’s Indigenous Guernseys for Sir Doug Nicholls Round

Some fantastic designs for the AFL’s most celebrated round 🔥

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		P	W	L	PTS	%
1	COLL	19	15	4	60	135
2	ADEL	19	14	5	56	146
3	BL	19	13	5	54	110.8
4	GEEL	19	13	6	52	134.2
5	HAW	19	13	6	52	119.9
6	FRE	19	13	6	52	111.7
7	GWS	20	13	7	52	111.3
8	WB	20	12	8	48	137.3