THIS year marks the 10th anniversary of Sir Doug Nicholls Round. 

But what is the round all about, when was it introduced, who is Sir Doug Nicholls, and what is Dreamtime at the ‘G??

Here’s everything you need to know about Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

What is Sir Doug Nicholls Round?

Sir Doug Nicholls Round is the name given to the AFL’s annual rounds that celebrate and honour the extraordinary contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, cultures, and communities to Australian football.

The AFL began holding an annual Indigenous Round in 2006, and in 2015 changed the name to honour one of the greatest First Nations contributors to our game, Sir Doug Nicholls.

Who was Sir Doug Nicholls?

Sir Doug Nicholls played 54 games with Fitzroy and was a brilliant all-round athlete who later became the Governor of South Australia after a life devoted to the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

He was the first Indigenous player to represent Victoria at state level, and was also an elite runner and boxer. Away from the sporting arenas, he was a pastor with the Churches of Christ and a Justice of the Peace. Sir Doug was awarded both an MBE and an OBE before he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1972.

Sir Doug was born at the Cummeragunja Aboriginal Mission in NSW in 1906, but moved to Victoria and played in the VFA with Northcote where he was part of the club’s 1929 premiership.

He then joined Fitzroy in 1932 and played 54 games for the club between 1932 and 1937 and also played two games for Victoria. He also organised and coached the first Aboriginal All Stars games from 1942-48, beginning when the VFL and VFA suspended all competition matches due to the Second World War. These games were the forerunner to today’s Indigenous All Stars matches.

What is the theme this year?

The Sir Doug Nicholls Round theme in 2025 is Past Legacies, Future Legends. It highlights three important anniversaries and recognises the enduring impact and future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in our game – 10 years of Sir Doug Nicholls Round; 20 years since the Indigenous Team of the Century was announced; and 30 years since the introduction of the Peek Rule (Rule 35, the AFL’s anti-vilification and discrimination rule).

Who are the Sir Doug Nicholls Round honourees?

Each year since 2018, one of the game’s Indigenous greats is recognised as the Sir Doug Nicholls Round honouree. These football figures are among the most significant players and officials that the game has seen, and Sir Doug Nicholls Round is an opportunity for the entire football industry to pay tribute to their achievements.

The 2025 Sir Doug Nicholls Round honouree is Stephen Michael, a legend of WA football and arguably the greatest player to never have played in the VFL/AFL. He won two Sandover medals as the WAFL’s fairest and best, playing 243 games and kicking 231 goals as a brilliant ruck for South Fremantle. He won five fairest and best awards for South Fremantle, and captained the All-Australian team in 1983. He is a member of both the Indigenous Team of the Century and the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

The past Sir Doug Nicholls Round honourees are: Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer (2018), Michael Long (2019), Syd Jackson (2020/21), Bill Dempsey (2022), Glenn James (2023) and Sonny Morey (2024).

What is Dreamtime at the ‘G?

The annual Dreamtime at the ‘G game is played during Sir Doug Nicholls Round between Essendon and Richmond. The annual fixture began in 2005, when Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy championed the idea to celebrate Indigenous players’ contribution to football, as that year’s game coincided with NAIDOC Week.

Since then, the fixture has grown in stature with thousands joining the pre-game Long Walk to the ‘G, and First Nations dancers, musicians and footballers all taking pride of place during the pre-match ceremonies. The game is one of the best-attended fixtures each year, regularly drawing more than 70,000 spectators.

In the COVID-affected seasons of 2020 and 2021, the Dreamtime game was moved from the MCG to Darwin’s TIO Stadium (in 2020) and Optus Stadium in Perth (in 2021), with the Bombers and Tigers playing in front of packed houses in both seasons.

What is The Long Walk?

In 2004, Essendon’s Indigenous great Michael Long embarked on a 650km trek from his home in Melbourne to Parliament House in Canberra to lobby then-Prime Minister John Howard on the issues facing Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Long’s walk drew huge attention from the national news media and The Long Walk became an established charity organisation that now runs educational programs in schools to “empower First Nations children with knowledge, culture and opportunity”, fostering the next generation of leaders.

The Long Walk to the ‘G is the flagship event for the charity each year, when thousands of football fans come together before the Dreamtime at the ‘G game each year to join Michael Long as he walks from Birrarung Marr to the MCG ahead of the marquee game.

Why do teams change their name?

During Sir Doug Nicholls Round, several AFL clubs rebrand themselves to club names in the language of the traditional owners of the land on which they are based. They do so to recognise the traditional owners, to acknowledge the history of Indigenous players at their clubs, and to promote awareness of First Nations history, culture and community.

Melbourne was the first club to do so in 2022, changing its name to Narrm. Five other clubs have followed: Fremantle (Walyalup), Port Adelaide (Yartapuulti), Adelaide (Kuwarna), St Kilda (Euro-Yroke) and West Coast (Waalitj Marawar).

Guernseys

One of the highlights of Sir Doug Nicholls Round is the adoption by all 18 clubs of special guernseys that incorporate Indigenous designs on them, worn by clubs throughout the rounds and also at other times in the year.

The jumpers are often designed by current or former players at each club, or by family members of past or current players. The reveal of each club’s Indigenous guernsey is a significant moment and they often tell the story of a particular player or family’s cultural connection to their homes and their families.

The umpires for each game also wear specially designed uniforms adorned with Indigenous designs. These uniforms are usually updated every two seasons.

During Sir Doug Nicholls Round, the traditional Sherrin football used for each game is printed with Indigenous art designs. The ball used in the 2024 and 2025 rounds was designed by former Adelaide player Ben Nabea Davis, who also designed the Crows’ Indigenous guernsey in 2021.

Learn more about Ben Davis’ design of the Sir Doug Nicholls Round Sherrin here