Sir Doug Nicholls Round 2024: Vote for your club’s best Indigenous jumper since 2019

There are some truly special stories behind this year’s Indigenous guernseys – and brilliant designs to match. But how do they compare? Here’s your favourite from each club over the past five years.

Sir Doug Nicholls Round – the AFL’s annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and its contribution to the game – will be held over rounds 10 and 11, with all clubs to host a match.

It started last week with Sydney and Carlton in the Marn Grook match at the SCG and will again be highlighted at the 20th Dreamtime at the ‘G showpiece between Essendon and Richmond on Saturday.

All AFL clubs will again feature specially designed Indigenous guernseys – all with unique stories behind them.

But how do they compare to the brilliant designs that have come before them?

We’ve collated every club’s Indigenous jumper since 2019, so you can pick your favourite.

All 2019-2023 guernseys from footyjumpers.com

ADELAIDE

2024 DESIGN: Crows star Izak Rankine and his cousin, artist Harley Hall, celebrate their shared Ngarrindjeri heritage, in a guernsey that will be worn by the AFL, AFLW and SANFL teams. The artwork includes names of all of Adelaide’s past and present Indigenous players, celebrating their contributions to the club, game, and wider community. “My dad is a Ngarrindjeri man from Murray Bridge and along the Coorong and Goolwa area, and the guernsey has a strong connection to my mob on my dad’s side,” Rankine said. “Harley’s from the same mob and it’s super cool to see our people represented in the guernsey. Early days, I remember being on the mission with him and jumping on the back of his motorbike, so to be able to reconnect with him again and work on something like this with him means a lot. A lot of work went into it, but we’re really happy with how it has turned out.” Both Rankine and Hall say the Kalawindjeri (Milky Way) on the chest of the guernsey, which represents their First Nations ancestors, is their favourite part of the design.

Adelaide will also change its name to Kuwarna for both the AFL and AFLW Indigenous rounds in what is being described as a “transformative moment” in the history of the club. Pronounced goo-wun-na, Kuwarna is the Kaurna translation for the word Crows, and has been used in consultation with the Kaurna Warra Karrpanthi Language Corporation. “It (Kuwarna) represents how far we have come in this industry in recognising First Nations people and the contribution they have made to the game,” Rankine said. “To see the club’s name change on TV is great exposure, particularly for young Indigenous kids who love their footy.”

KEY GAME: Rd 11, v West Coast at Adelaide Oval (Sunday May 26)

BRISBANE LIONS

2024 DESIGN: The Lions’ guernsey, designed by Lardil woman and artist Renee Wilson celebrates not just the triumph but also the deep-rooted heritage of the Indigenous players and their communities. Wilson, a relative of Lions’ star forward Charlie Cameron, crafted the guernsey with the theme “Merri Dilangka” – meaning listening to the past, present, and moving forward together. “I thought it was good to incorporate into the theme of the guernsey because we always have to remember where we come from, where we are now as a people and where we are heading,” Wilson said. The jersey also incorporates totems of current Indigenous players, including Cameron’s shovelnose shark and Callum Ah Chee’s wallaby. For the first time the guernsey will be worn by both the AFL and AFLW teams. The away guernsey will be worn against Hawthorn on Sunday May 28 at Marvel Stadium.

KEY GAME: Rd 10, v Richmond at the Gabba (Saturday, May 18)

CARLTON

2024 DESIGN: Carlton’s 2024 Sir Doug Nicholls Round jersey was designed by Stewart James, who is a Wiradjuri man of the Narrandera Murrumbidgee River People and is also Zac Williams’ cousin. Williams said it was special to have a such a close connection to this year’s guernsey. “Family means the world to me, and knowing one of my own Mob designed the guernsey makes it even more special,” he said. “To have myself, Jesse (Motlop), and Jack (Martin), each represented with a symbol on the guernsey is a real heartwarming touch, and one I know we will all treasure. “It helps put it in perspective what Sir Doug Nicholls Round truly represents for us. “It is never lost on the players, the privilege it is to run out in the Indigenous guernsey and celebrate, acknowledge and pay our respects to Indigenous culture and people.” The artwork name Ngiyanhi 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, the Blues say.

KEY GAME: Rd 11, v Gold Coast at Marvel Stadium (Saturday, May 25)

COLLINGWOOD

2024 DESIGN: Uncle Trevor Davis, the father of former Magpie Leon Davis design the club’s guernsey, inspired by a piece of art called “Healing”. Uncle Trevor, who is a proud Wadjuk, Ballardong, Wilman, Wongi and Noongar man, created the painting that depicts a healing process. “I’m overwhelmed with it. When I see, I can feel it in my heart. It’s beautiful,” Uncle Trevor said. His wife, Nancy Davis, added: “Wirin is on here, the good spirit, and the representation of water, and cleansing. It’s the cleansing of a club for a new start, we’ve had our own journey with the club, our own struggles, but it’s a new beginning.” The footprints represent the people travelling to the club, while the figure in the centre protects everyone from bad spirits and is a connector between the now and the Dreamtime.

Leon Davis added: “It has been so special to see Dad’s artwork transformed into a guernsey. The story it tells is so important to the club’s journey and continuing growth in this space.”

KEY GAME: Rd 10, v Adelaide at the MCG (Saturday, May 18)

ESSENDON

2024 DESIGN: Artist Russellina Puruntatameri draws inspiration from a profound Tiwi legend – the tale of Purrupali. It symbolises the enduring connection of the Tiwi people to their land, sea, and ancestors. The inclusion of sunrises and sunsets represents the eternal cycle of life and the significance of Arringu (Rock) from Melville and Bathurst islands as protectors of the Tiwi people. Embedded within the design are elements of the Pukumani ceremony, a sacred ritual of mourning and remembrance among the Tiwi. The intricate Tutini Pole signifies the culmination of mourning for a deceased person, showcasing deep-rooted traditions and reverence for their ancestors. The guernsey also features ceremonial spears, and footprints commemorating the 20th anniversary of Essendon legend Michael Long’s historic walk to Canberra, signifying unity, resilience, and progress.

KEY GAME: Dreamtime at the G, Rd 11, v Richmond (Saturday May 26)

FREMANTLE

2024 DESIGN: Former Docker Michael Johnson and his cousin Daniel McHenry have represented their family origins, with the colours on the design (red, green, purple and white) a callback to the first Fremantle guernsey Johnson wore. “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 Karli (boomerang) and Ketj (spears) replace the home and away guernsey chevrons, reminiscent of the anchor on the Dockers guernsey. “Bringing the anchor back, but putting it in our way with the spears and the Boomerang is one of my favourite elements on the jumper,” McHenry said. The back of the jumper features a reference to previous Indigenous jumpers designed by Roger Hayden, Dale Kickett and Richard Walley, incorporating their designs, with their permission, and continuing Johnson’s theme of paying respect to those that have come before.

KEY GAME: Rd 11, v Collingwood at Optus Stadium (Friday May 24)

GEELONG

2024 DESIGN: The guernsey, designed by Keerray Woorroong and Yorta Yorta woman Sherry Johnstone, is titled ‘Layers of the Land’ and speaks to the importance of looking after our environment and celebrating the unique elements of the Australian landscape. Geelong midfielder Brandan Parfitt, a Larrakia, Waramungu and Yawuru man, said: “It’s an honour to wear Sherry Johnstone’s design, which holds such deep significance. Having grown up in the Northern Territory, for the Cats to be heading to Darwin to play in the round opener against Gold Coast is something that is very special to me.” The guernsey also highlights waterways, which represent journeys and time, and footprints representing the First Nations peoples who walked on and sustained the land for over 60,000 years. The Cats will wear two versions, with a predominantly blue design for their match with Gold Coast in Darwin, while a predominantly white design will be used in their Round 11 match against GWS Giants.

KEY GAME: Rd 11, v GWS Giants at GMHBA Stadium (Saturday May 25)

GOLD COAST

2024 DESIGN: The Suns will feature two Indigenous guernseys – the first by Larrakia artist Trent Lee for its Darwin games against North Melbourne (May 9) and Geelong (May 16). It features two elements – the sun, symbolising the iconic sunset at Darwin’s Mindil Beach; and 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 second guernsey – designed by Yugambeh and Bundjalung artists Christine and Kyle Slabb – will be worn in Round 11 against Carlton. It was inspired by Garrara, the language name of a long lagoon that ran south to north along what is today known as the Gold Coast. Represented by the feather motifs are Bilin-Bilin (rainbow lorikeet), Dun-Dun (swamp pheasant) and Mibin (eagle). Ancestors of kinship groups are represented by the human-like figures. The circular symbols represent the sacred and cultural camps that local Aboriginal people inhabit and maintain while the background represents the vast space of the once large lagoon.

KEY GAME: Rd 10, v Geelong at TIO Stadium, Darwin (Thursday May 16)

GWS GIANTS

2024 DESIGN: The Giants’ guernsey, designed by proud Gomeroi man Kayleb Waters, is called Maaluga Ngarriylanha, which means “sitting as one”. A 25-year-old storyteller from the Aboriginal community of Walhallow, Waters is an artist, dancer and mentor and also facilitates cultural workshops and wellbeing programs across NSW. Gomeroi country extends broadly from the Queensland and NSW border region to Tamworth, Aberdeen, Muswellbrook, Coonabarabran and Walgett. Walhallow is a village in the northwest slopes region of NSW, near Quirindi. “The more we learn about country, the more we care for it. And the more we care, the more we love. We can’t love something if we know nothing about it,” Waters said. The design features a kangaroo (bandaar) inside the trademark ‘G’ on the front of the jumper, symbolising strength and patience, while the circular shapes and linework represent all of mother earth’s wisdom and knowledge and connection to country. The orange circles represent people gathering and sitting as one, while the tracks and grids illustrate the path the club is taking with communities to build connections and relationships.

KEY GAME: Rd 10, v Western Bulldogs, ENGIE Stadium (Saturday May 18)

HAWTHORN

2024 DESIGN: The Hawks’ guernsey was inspired by Chance Bateman’s story and brought to life by Whadjuk, Ballardong and Eastern Arrente artist Jade Dolman. Bateman, a 2008 premiership player and the first Indigenous man to play 100 games for the club, is a proud Ballardong and Noongar man has a close connection with Dolman, whose artist name is J.D. Penangke (pronounced pen-ung-gah). The design contains a range of intricate and sentimental elements that centre around a hawk, with circles across the front and back of the guernsey paying homage to members and supporters of the brown and gold, who form the lifeblood of the club. There are 13 rings, signifying the years Bateman represented the club, with the band surrounding those rings depicting the six Noongar seasons. The back of the guernsey contains a map of the Ballardong region, where both Bateman and Dolman come from, with a small ring also paying tribute to Bateman’s hometown of York. “It’s such a special honour to have the guernsey represent my journey to the Hawks and my time there,” Bateman said. “That time of my life is something I’ll always look back on as being really special for me.”

KEY GAME: Rd 11, v Brisbane Lions at Marvel Stadium (Sunday May 26)

MELBOURNE

2024 DESIGN: Fittingly titled ‘My Heart Beats True’, the guernsey was created by Mali Isabel, an Arabana and Kokatha artist living on Kaurna Country. Centred around a heart, it tells the story of her younger brother, passionate Demons fan KC Melbourne Herriman-Place.

“This guernsey is all about my little brother and his journey, his strength, his power, his resilience,” Isabel said. After suffering from cardiomyopathy – and his first cardiac arrest at just 11 years old – KC received a heart transplant in 2020. At the centre of Mali’s artwork is a beating heart, with its five layers, which connects the club, staff, players and community. At the top of the artwork are a number of stars, representing those who came before us, Elders and those who are no longer here with us. “No matter where we are, we all look up at the same stars and that connects us all as one,” Isabel said. At the bottom of the design is a series of waterholes, depicting Kati Thanda (Lake Ayre), located on Arabana Country, with water considered the most spiritually sacred element for Arabana people. The back of the guernsey features the names of all Melbourne Football Club’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, both past and present, honouring the impact they’ve had on the club and its people. For the third consecutive year, the club will rebrand to Narrm Football Club for the duration of Sir Doug Nicholls Round. Narrm is the traditional Aboriginal name for Melbourne and comes from the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung language.

KEY GAME: Rd 11, v St Kilda at the MCG (Sunday May 26)

NORTH MELBOURNE

2024 DESIGN: Wemba Wemba, Gunditjmara, Ngadjonji and Taungurung artist Emma Bamblett has designed the Roos guernsey, which will be worn against Essendon (Round 10) and Yartapuulti (Port Adelaide) in Round 11. Titled ‘Kangaroo Way’, it 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 the club’s traditional royal blue and white stripes as the base and kangaroo tracks throughout. Four kangaroos are also featured to represent a mob of kangaroos, drawing parallels to the club. North Melbourne will also wear a specially designed warm-up shirt by trawlwoolway man of Lutruwita/ Tasmania and direct descendant of Manaleganna, Danny Gardner, when the team plays in Hobart. This design tells the story of the creation of Palawa, the first Tasmanian Aboriginal person. The design reflects on the deep connection between the palawa people (the footprints) and their Country (kangaroo paw prints), as well as the knowledge of the palawa people about the spiritual connection to their ancestors.

KEY GAME: Rd 11, v Port Adelaide at Blundstone Arena, Hobart (Saturday May 25)

PORT ADELAIDE

2024 DESIGN: Inspired by the essence of family, Port Adelaide’s guernsey was a collaboration between two-time premiership player, Norm Smith Medallist and 200-game player, Byron Pickett, and his first cousin Melanie Pickett. It depicts a strong connection to family, to the land, and to the Port Adelaide region, as well as the club’s seven current First Nations AFL players. “It (the design) is about family. I’m really big on family. I’ve always put family before myself, it’s just what I’ve been taught by my father, my mother, and my older sister,” Byron Pickett said. The guernsey design is centred around three round symbols, while the Port River forms the traditional Yartapuulti ‘V’ shape across the chest. “The rivers represent the Port River, the home of Yartapuulti and my football journey,” Byron said. “The animal prints on the side of the guernsey are my totems. The bird footprint is the pee wee, that’s my Nyoongar totem on my dad’s side. And the dog print is a dingo (ngubanu), and that’s my mum’s totem on the Yamatji side. There are three ‘U’ shapes on the back of the guernsey. The teal one is my granddaughter, Zaylera, and the two others are the boys, my two grandsons Z’kye and Zyree.” The club will again be known as the Yartapuulti Football Club for all games played during Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

KEY GAME: Rd 10, v Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval (Sunday May 19)

RICHMOND

2024 DESIGN: Richmond’s 2024 AFL Dreamtime guernsey, designed by Maurice Rioli Jnr and his mother, Alberta Kerinauia, speaks of the deep connection between the Rioli family and the Richmond Football Club. Maurice Snr 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).“We all get our totems from our dad’s side of the family,” Rioli Jnr explained. “We have all the seen the turtle before from Daniel’s (2019) Dreamtime guernsey … basically, I did a (Rioli) design, and Mum did a (Kerinauia) design, and then we put it together.” The spears featured on the back of the jumper depict those used for hunting or battle in the Tiwi Islands. The spears are used to provide food and provide for families; they represent Maurice’s ancestors going into battle to defend their family. This design will have special meaning to Maurice’s home community of Pirlangimpi, located on the northwest coast of Melville Island, part of the Tiwi Islands. It will also have significance to Maurice’s previous clubs, the Imalu Tigers (Pirlangimpi), and NTFL Club St Mary’s (Darwin).

KEY GAME: Dreamtime at the G, Rd 11, v Essendon (Saturday May 26)

ST KILDA

2024 DESIGN: For the first time in club history, St Kilda Football Club will proudly go by the Boon Wurrung name of Euro-Yroke across this year’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round, marking the occasion with two separate guernseys as part of the celebrations. The adoption and translation of Euro-Yroke (pronounced yoo-roe yoo-roe-ck) was made possible with the assistance of Boon Wurrung Senior Elder N’arweet Dr Carolyn Briggs and Boon Wurrung Elder and language specialist Aunty Fay Muir. The club’s two striking designs were created by proud Wagiman man and artist Nathan Patterson. 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 words ‘Euro-Yroke’ are also printed into the hemlines of the guernsey, accompanying the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. This year’s multi-stripe design is based off the guernseys worn in the Saints’ earliest of days in the VFL, dating from 1897-1914 (white) and 1915-1918 (yellow).

Euro-Yroke will wear the yellow variation of the guernsey for its home game, before debuting the white variation for its away match-up against Narrm (Melbourne) in Round 11.

KEY GAME: Rd 10, v Fremantle, Marvel Stadium (May 18)

SYDNEY

2024 DESIGN: The Marn Grook guernsey, designed by proud Yuin artist Richard Campbell, the uncle of former Swans player James Bell. The artwork depicts Campbell’s totem, Gunyu, the black swan, with feathers transforming 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 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.

KEY GAME: Rd 10, v Carlton at the SCG (Friday May 17)

WEST COAST

2024 DESIGN: Yamatji artist Loretta Egan, a lifelong Eagles fan and niece of renowned actor Ernie Dingo, has designed the Eagles’ guernsey, entitled Ngularl – or Wedge-Tailed Eagle, alongside former club champion Chris Lewis. “The circle in the centre represents the Eagles’ nest. The U-shapes around the circle represent people sitting around the home of the Eagles and the four stars represent the four premierships we have won,” Egan said. “The tracks up the top signify the Eagles players leaving their mark wherever they play. The other circles represent other AFL clubs.” During Sir Doug Nicholls Round, the club will be known as Waalitj Marawar, ‘Eagles of the West’ in Noongar language, paying respect to the Wadjuk people of the Noongar nation, the traditional custodians of land on the swan coastal plain and east beyond the hills.

KEY GAME: Rd 10, v Melbourne at Optus Stadium (Sunday May 19)

WESTERN BULLDOGS

2024 DESIGN: The Bulldogs will feature two guernseys in 2024 — a home kit in the usual Bulldogs blue, as well as a predominately white clash guernsey — created by Tarni Jarvis, a proud Djab Wurrong, Kirrae Wurrong and Peak Wurrong woman who lives on Wadawurrung country in Ballarat. The traditional hoops have been replaced with riverways, representing the connection between different countries of the west, while the arches at the bottom symbolise mountain ranges, with communities represented alongside. “I was inspired by the beautiful area I live in, as well as my ancestors’ countries,” Jarvis said. “The riverways are important parts of our dreamings that have provided and cared for us for over 65,000 years.” The clash guernsey will be worn against GWS in Round 10.

KEY GAME: Rd 11, v Sydney at Marvel Stadium (Thursday May 23)

Originally published as Sir Doug Nicholls Round 2024: Vote for your club’s best Indigenous jumper since 2019