Sir Doug Nicholls is recognised as one of our clubs greats with his contribution to our club and society more broadly. 

The annual Sir Doug Nicholls Round, formerly known as AFL Indigenous Round, sees the AFL community celebrate and recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their contribution to Australian Football.

Each year the Brisbane Lions commemorate this round with an Indigenous Guernsey designed by local artists and/or current/past players. These guernseys are worn during the AFL season’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round as well as the AFLW Indigenous round.

Indigenous Guernsey 2024

The Brisbane Lions with the help of Lardil woman and Mornington Island artist Renee Wilson are proud to launch the Club’s 2024 Sir Doug Nicholls Round guernsey. 

Wilson hails from Mornington Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria and is a relative of Lions forward Charlie Cameron.  

The theme of the jumper is born from the Lardil phrase, ‘Merri Dilangka’, which for Lardil people means listening to the past, present and moving forward together, which was an important aspect to incorporate into the guernsey for Wilson. 

“Having Indigenous rounds in the AFL is really important because it gives us a sense of pride. It is important for us because that’s our identity, as that is us, who we are, our culture and it is important to share our stories and culture, it is all part of education.” 

The guernsey design is broken down into three key elements, the past, the present and we move forward together born from the theme of Merri Dilangka. 

The Past 

Lardil people, who are the traditional custodians of Mornington Island, believe that three people were the first beings to arrive there. 

The left portion of artwork depicts three beings arriving on Mornington Island, highlighting where the Lardil people have come from and acknowledging their past. 

The Present 

At the centre and bottom of the artwork depicts the present, highlighted with the blue of the ocean in the middle surrounding Mornington Island. 

Below the island is a Barun (turtle), Yaka (fish) and Kendabal (dugong), which are the main food sources on Mornington Island for the Lardil people. 

Above the island stand three people looking out to a boat and the stars, this is a reminder of the Stolen Generation and role which it plays presently and historical for the Lardil people. 

The Future 

The right of artwork is a nod to the future, maintaining and preserving culture, passing it on to the next generation. 

The artwork itself depicts the theme of Merri Dilangka, a traditional dance of the Lardil people, a part of continuing to move forward together.  

For the first time in the Clubs’ history, both the AFL and AFLW teams will wear the same guernsey during their Indigenous Rounds, with the AFLW’s fixture to be confirmed later in the coming months.