Fans heading to Adelaide’s clash with Greater Western Sydney this Sunday are encouraged to arrive early for a special celebration of the game’s Indigenous players and culture.
The pre-game entertainment as part of the celebrations for Sir Doug Nicholls Round will commence at approximately 3.35pm ahead of the 4.10pm match.
There will be hundreds of performers involved on the day, commencing with a Welcome to Country by Jack Buckskin followed by a special performance of the Dreamtime Story of the Rainbow Serpent.
A cast of dancers and digeridoo players will perform and numerous styles of Aboriginal art will be depicted on the Oval, culminating in the formation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
The performance will be capped off with a live vocal performance by female Indigenous vocalists Ellie Lovegrove, Vonda Last and Nancy Bates.
Tickets to the game are still available. The match also has a special Sunday Funday offer with kids general admission tickets free, and adult tickets from just $35.
Fans will also have the opportunity to contribute to a large scale artwork by local Kaurna artist Narisha Cash in the lead up to the match, thanks to Club Premier partner University of South Australia.
Located in the UniSA marquee in the Southern Plaza, those wishing to leave their mark on the piece of art can leave a hand print or inscribe one of the hundreds of Indigenous Australian language groups found across our country.
Fans can also pick up a special poster for Sir Doug Nicholls Round developed by UniSA which features ‘Go Crows’ on one side and the translation in Kaurna on the other side.
On Sunday, Adelaide Oval gates will open at 2pm. From 2.25pm girls and boys who participated in the 2018 McLeod Challenge – a nine-a-side round-robin football tournament for Year 8 and 9 students – will meet in two curtain-raiser matches.
Now in its fifth year, the McLeod Challenge is an integral part of the Crows' Indigenous programs led by Club legend Andrew McLeod and wife Rachael.
Approximately 200 students competed in an event held at Thebarton Oval on May 18 for the opportunity to play in the curtain-raiser. The carnival was also taken to Alice Springs this year in partnership with AFLNT and the Melbourne Football Club.
In the boys’ division, a team from Brighton High will meet Para Hills High in the final. While in the girls’ division, a combined team from Warriappendi School and Salisbury High will go up against Oceanview College.
Sunday’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round match will be the pinnacle of a week of Indigenous cultural celebration at the Adelaide Football Club.
The Crows will wear a guernsey specially designed by Wayne Milera’s uncle Roger Rigney.
From Friday, fans can bid on the players’ match-worn guernseys via CROWmania.
This is the twelfth year the AFL has celebrated Indigenous Round and the third time the Round has been celebrated since being renamed after former South Australian Governor and footballer Sir Doug Nicholls.
The Round celebrates the relationship between the game and Indigenous Australia by connecting AFL fans to Indigenous culture and celebrating the incredible impact Indigenous players have made on our game.
