Why indigenous round carries extra meaning for reynolds

With the Dreamtime clash at the G entering its 19th year, Sir Doug Nicholls Round has inspired every AFL club to change its strip to mark the importance of First Nations people to the game - and in some cases, even change the team's name. Daily Mail Australia has compiled a thorough list explaining what this year's striking designs mean as they tell stories about families, unity, connection - and provide visual proof that, as AFLW star Danielle Ponter put it, the round is about 'so much more than just a game of football'.

Adelaide Crows. The Crows guernsey this year has a touching link with Indigenous AFLW superstar, Danielle Ponter; and it's a poignant reminder that Sir Doug Nicholls round is far more than just an opportunity to wear a different guernsey. Many Indigenous people in Australia have traumatic family histories, with the stolen generations from the mids to s coming after many Aboriginal people were forcibly removed away from their land and family.

Why indigenous round carries extra meaning for reynolds: The upcoming Indigenous Round in Darwin

It meant many families lost touch as they were separated - which is exactly what happened in Ponter's family. Her aunty, April Napangardi Campbell, designed the Crows jumper; but Ponter only met her for the first time recently when she came to Adelaide to create the special guernsey. The theme of connection is so wonderfully illustrated in the coming together of Ponter and Campbell, and highlights how special the Sir Doug Nicholls Round is for our Indigenous superstars.

To finally meet her in Adelaide and see her artwork is just awesome. It's about connecting and learning and experiencing different things. Football and this Round has brought us together.