The Indigenous round of the 2024 NAB AFLW season has begun.

The AFLW has proudly launched the 2024 Indigenous Round, which will take place during weeks nine and 10 of the 2024 NAB AFLW Premiership season.

The significant contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls to Australian football and the wider community will be celebrated at the AFLW Indigenous Round over the next two weeks.

“Strong Spirit, Game On” is the theme of the special round, which recognizes the resilience and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The theme celebrates the traditions, culture and enduring spirit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their ongoing influence and legacy in Australian football and society.

Six AFLW clubs will change their names to traditional language names: for the first time in AFLW, Adelaide Crows will become Kuwarna (pronounced goo-woon-na), St Kilda will be called Euro-Irok (pronounced ” yu”). -roe yoo-roe-ck), and the West Coast Eagles would be known as Waalitj Marawar (pronounced wa-litch mara-wah), joining Fremantle Walyalup (pronounced wul-yul-up), Port Adelaide as Yartapuulti (pronounced as Yarta – pole-tee) and Melbourne, known as Narm (pronounced na-arm).

As part of the special round, AFLW will recognize the Traditional Custodians of the land at every match, with ground markers at all matches featuring the names of the Traditional Owners and an image of an Aboriginal women’s art symbol on the field. The AFLW Indigenous Round Sherrin was designed by proud Kaurna, Ngarrindjeri and Nurrunga woman Gabrielle Stengl.

In addition, all 18 AFLW clubs will wear specially designed Indigenous Round kits, and referees for all matches in weeks nine and 10 will wear kits designed by Noongar Vandandi Buja and current referee Joshua James.

AFL Executive General Manager, Inclusion and Social Policy Tanya Hosch said the AFLW was looking forward to celebrating the Indigenous Round and the theme “Strong Spirit, Game On” over the fortnight.

“The Indigenous AFLW Round has been one of the greatest events of the NAB AFLW season as we celebrate the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls to Australian football and the wider community over two weeks,” Ms Hoche said.

“The theme ‘Strong Spirit, Play within the Play’ reflects the incredible resilience that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have always shown in this country. This theme resonates with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players and their families as a reflection of their culture, determination, talent and strength.

“This is also an important opportunity to elevate the voices of Indigenous women in our code, celebrating their cultural expressions and what football means to them and their communities.”

AFLW CEO Emma Moore said she was pleased to see the football community come together to celebrate the AFLW Indigenous Round, marking the first Dreamtime match in Darwin.

“We are proud to see the AFLW community come together for AFLW Indigenous Round 5 and as part of the celebrations we are delighted to be bringing the iconic Dreamtime match between Richmond and Essendon to Darwin for the first time,” Moore said.

“This is a chance for the League and the wider community to reflect and celebrate the contributions, resilience and enduring spirit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and players on and off the field.”

The Indigenous Round, which takes place in weeks nine and ten of the 2024 NAB AFLW season, will celebrate “Spirits High, Game On” with matches from Thursday 24 October to Sunday 3 November. The annual Dreamtime match will take place for the first time on Saturday, October 26 in Darwin, with Richmond and Essendon going head to head.

Tickets are on sale now for just $15, children under 18 are free at aflwtickets.afl.

Sherrin design

The 2024 Indigenous match ball was designed by Gabriel Stengle, a proud Kaurna, Ngarrindjeri and Nurrunga woman. As part of the design, the word Sherrin will be replaced by the phrase “Tidna Parntu”, which means “football” in the Kaurna language.

The ponds are connected by travel lines, symbolizing the AFLW community journey. Kangaroo tracks embody the AFLW concept of always moving forward, never backward.

The base imitates the Kulamon, a tool primarily used by women to gather food, berries, and store their children. Kulamon was carved from trees and decorated with burn marks or natural dots. They can be found all over Australia, uniting us through culture and as women.

Guernsey Club

Once again, all 18 AFLW clubs will wear their own specially designed Indigenous clothing during the Indigenous round.

Each club has worked closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to create guernseys that tell stories about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, history, traditions and resilience.

Judge uniform design

All AFLW referees will wear a uniform that reflects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, designed by Noongar Wandandi Buja and AFL referee Joshua James.

The design on the uniform is called “Moorditj Koondarm”, which means “Strong Dreams” in Noongar. It also includes the story of James and Aboriginal ambitions.

“The story behind the artwork is intended to demonstrate how strong, resilient and self-reliant Aboriginal people are, and the unity of people coming together from across Australia, regardless of colour, culture, sexual orientation or belief,” Mr James said . .

NAB Auskik

Auskicker players competing at half-time in Indigenous round matches will wear special Indigenous shirts designed by young brothers Hamish and Cobie Collins.

Arrernte Anmatyerr’s Northern Territory proud boys, Hamish (17) and Kobe (14), grew up in a small remote community called Ewelamu in Alice Springs and love creating art to tell stories and connect with their culture.

Titled Reconciliation, the work features young people from all communities coming together to achieve equality through sport – a reflection of their own personal experiences.

Changing the club name

A third of all AFLW clubs will change their names to translations into the owners’ traditional language as part of the Indigenous round.\

For the first time, Adelaide Crows will be known as Kuwarna (pronounced goo-wun-na), St Kilda will be known as Euro-Irok (pronounced yoo-row yoo-ro-k), and The West Coast Eagles will be known as Waalij Marawar (pronounced wa-litch mara-wah). For the second year in a row, Fremantle will be known as Wallyalup (pronounced vul-yul-up) and Port Adelaide will be known as Yartapulty (pronounced Yarta-pol-tee). For the fourth season in a row, Melbourne will be known as Narm (pronounced na-arm).

Kuvarna is the Kaurna translation of the word “crows” and the Euro-Irok is the Boon Wurrung translation of the word “St Kilda”. Waalij Marawar means “Eagle of the West” in the local Noongar language.

Narm comes from the Woi Wurrung language meaning Melbourne, Wallyalup is the Noongar name for the Fremantle region, and Yartapulti comes from the Kaurna language meaning the land around the Porth River.

Pronunciation of club names can be found here.

The Sacred Tree of Our Songlines – Forest Gallery, Melbourne Museum

A new art installation recently appeared in the Forest Gallery at the Melbourne Museum.

The sacred tree of our songlines was created by Gunnai and Waradjuri man and acclaimed artist Robert Michael Young. It provides a space for reflection and is part of the newly opened Forest Gallery Biik Milboo Dhumba | The country always speaks.

Through Robert’s sculpture and the voices of people from the East Kulin Nations, this experience allows visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the significance of the country and its connection to language and culture.

At the heart of the Melbourne Museum is the Forest Gallery, where you can explore the local mountain landscape, stopping at nine points along the way to learn more about indigenous flora and fauna. Wandering among the trees of the Forest Gallery, Biik Milbu Dhumba | Country Is Always Talking invites you to think about what it means to listen to Country.