THIS WEEKEND, the Narrm Football Club will celebrate the second week of Sir Doug Nicholls Round alongside Fremantle on Wurundjeri Land (MCG).
The round acknowledges Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history, while also creating important conversations among the AFL and wider communities.
The two clubs will honour the round with a cultural gift exchange ahead of Saturday’s game, a tradition that has long been a part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.
Narrm will gift Fremantle a Marngrook, which has been made by Bernadette Atkinson from the Wolithiga Clan of the Yorta Yorta Nations.
The word Marngrook originates from the Gunditjmara language meaning ‘game ball’.
Marngrook is a socially inclusive game with men and women playing together.
A Marngrook is commonly made using possum skin and is filled with charcoal, fur and dried reeds. It is then stitched together using kangaroo sinew.
Narrm will also gift their player deemed best afield with a hand painted Sherrin, designed and created by Dja Dja Wurrung artist Ricky Kildea from Marngrook Designs.
Ricky’s artwork painted upon the Sherrin is called ‘Connections’, with three meeting places acknowledging family, community and the Narrm Football Club. The lines around the meeting places symbolise the strength, unity and support networks.
The blue rivers lines that join the meeting places represent the strong connection between the Narrm Football Club, families and communities. It also represents the flowing positive energy.
The footprints leading to the main meeting place represents and acknowledges the players journeys to the club.
The dots design over the football celebrates the 2021 Premiership, with each dot representing the club's supporters, past players and everyone who has been involved and connected to Narrm.
During the first week of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, Narrm gifted a hand-carved shield to North Melbourne. The shield was created by Bangerang artist Roland C Atkinson.
North Melbourne gifted Narrm a painting by Indigenous artisti Emma Bamblett. Emma's piece acknowledges the Demons' four Indigenous players, with each players' totem featuring on the artwork.
For the duration of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, the Melbourne Football Club will be rebranded and referred to as the Narrm Football Club.