ONE OF the many highlights of Indigenous Round is the stunning, specially designed jumpers that tell a fascinating story.
All 18 clubs have unveiled their guernsey designs and have told the unique stories behind them.
Weeks nine and 10 of the 2024 NAB AFLW Season are Indigenous Round, which celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and its contribution to our game.
Check out every club's guernsey for the AFLW's Indigenous Round below.
AFL forward Izak Rankine worked alongside his cousin, artist Harley Hall, to craft the Crows' guernsey. The overarching theme of the guernsey is connection and the artwork includes the names of all of Adelaide's past and present Indigenous players, celebrating their contributions to the club, the game, and the wider community.
The guernsey design depicts the 23-year-old Rankine coming home to South Australia last year, driven by his boyhood dream to play for the Crows and a desire to be closer to his family.
Adelaide will not wear its Indigenous Round guernsey in Week 10 due to a jumper clash.
Read more about the Crows' guernsey here.
Brisbane's guernsey has been designed with the help of Lardil woman and Mornington Island artist Renee Wilson, who is a relative of Lions forward Charlie Cameron. The theme of the jumper is born from the Lardil phrase, 'Merri Dilangka’ and is broken down into three key elements, the past, the present and we move forward together. The inside of the neckline includes the six totems of the Lions' current indigenous players - Charlie Cameron, Callum Ah Chee, Keidean Coleman, Ally Anderson, Courtney Hodder and Dakota Davidson.
Read more about the Lions' guernsey here.
Carlton's 2024 Indigenous guernsey was designed by Wiradjuri man of the Narrandera Murrumbidgee River People Stewart James, who is also the cousin of defender Zac Williams. The artwork name Ngiyanhi [nee-ya-nee], comes from a Wiradjuri word meaning 'we all'. The name encompasses the deep connection and sense of belonging and purpose that 'we all', as Carlton family, feel. Every Carlton team has worn the same Indigenous guernsey this year.
Carlton will not wear its Indigenous Round guernsey in Week Nine due to a jumper clash.
Read more about the Blues' guernsey here.
The Pies' guernsey was designed by Uncle Trevor Davis, father of former Collingwood player and the club's cultural development manager Leon Davis, the inspiration for the guernsey design stems from a piece of art by Uncle Trevor called 'Healing'.
Uncle Trevor, who is a proud Wadjuk, Ballardong, Wilman, Wongi and Noongar man, created the painting that depicts a healing process which the club has embarked on over the past few years.
Design elements and their meanings from Uncle Trevor's art have been transferred onto the club's black and white striped guernsey.
The use of rain in the artwork is to represent the club being cleansed. The centrepiece of the guernsey represents the Collingwood Football Club. The club is a meeting place for all people across the land to come together to share their experiences. The footprints represent the people travelling to the club.
Read more about the Pies' guernsey here.
The Bombers' guernsey was designed by Tiwi artist Russellina Puruntatameri and pays homage to the rich traditions of the Tiwi people.
The Bombers will wear the jumper in the inaugural Dreamtime in Darwin clash against against the Tigers on Saturday night.
Former Docker Tiah Toth and her sister Breeanna Haynes have reflected on the former's football journey and paid respect to their family in the club's AFLW Indigenous jumper.
The guernsey tells the journey of Toth's footballing career, playing 24 games for Walyalup between 2017 and 2022, dealing with multiple injury setbacks along the way.
"The story for me is more about my journey through the Football Club, obviously being able to come back twice with the luck of being drafted again after a couple of injuries," Toth said.
"I was lucky enough to ask Breeanna to help me do the design and she's managed to do a really good job and nail down every little piece of my story and be able to put it into the artwork."
"I'm quite thankful that Tiah chose me to do the design work with her as I've been alongside her throughout the whole journey," Haynes said.
"It was quite easy doing the design, but it really mattered to me what Tiah thought about it."
Read more about the Dockers' guernsey here.
Geelong's Ingigenous guernsey is titled 'Layers of the Land' and was designed by Keerray Woorroong and Yorta Yorta woman Sherry Johnstone.
The guernsey speaks to the importance of looking after the environment and celebrating the unique elements of the Australian landscape that First Nations people have called home for more than 60,000 years.
The Suns have two guernseys for this year, the first designed by Larrakia artist Trent Lee and the other, designed by Yugambeh and Bundjalung artists Christine Slabb and Kyle Slabb. The guernseys were worn by the men's side this year, with this the first time the Suns have had a unified Indigenous design.
Read more about the Suns' guernsey here.
First unveiled by the club’s AFL side earlier this year during Sir Doug Nicholls Round, the Giants’ 2024 Indigenous jumper will now be worn by the AFLW team.
Designed by proud Gomeroi man Kayleb Waters, the jumper is called Maaluga Ngarriylanha, which means ‘sitting as one’. The jumper tells a story of unity and the leadership the Giants take in reconciliation and moving forward as one.
It was designed to represent the opportunities the Giants provide to communities from all backgrounds and religions, including First Nations people, and their efforts to maintain relationships and connections to culture.
Greater Western Sydney will not wear its Indigenous Round guernsey in Week 10 due to a jumper clash.
Read more about the Giants' guernsey here.
The Hawks' guernsey was designed by proud Whadjuk, Ballardong and Eastern Arrernte artist Jade Dolman, who also designed the men’s 2024 Indigenous guernsey.
The guernsey tells the story of Hawthorn’s AFLW journey, including the three First Nations players who have pulled on the brown and gold across the club’s history in Kaitlyn Ashmore, Mattea Breed and Janet Baird.
The three circles on the front of the guernsey represent the three players, with the three lines between those representing the three foundational pillars of people, football and sustainability.
The back of the guernsey shows the rain that nurtures the seeds of growth and development, as well as the people coming together in celebration of football and resilience, surrounded by community and football supporters.
Hawthorn will not wear its Indigenous Round guernsey in Week 10 due to a jumper clash.
Read more about the Hawks' guernsey here.
Melbourne's guernsey design was created by Mali Isabel, an Arabana and Kokatha artist living on Kaurna Country, whose family's special connection to the club is at the core of the jumper.
The artwork, titled 'My Heart Beats True', was first unveiled during Sir Doug Nicholls Round earlier this year, with the AFL team wearing it during rounds 10 and 11.
When the AFLW side pulls on the jumper, it will have a further special meaning, with their guernsey retaining the colours within the original artwork created by Isabel.
The opportunity to wear a female artist's work adds another layer of importance for Melbourne's AFLW playing group, seeing it as a chance to celebrate the talent of Indigenous women and their contributions to the country, both in art and sport.
Mali’s intricate design, centred around a heart, tells the story of her younger brother and passionate Demons fan KC Melbourne Herriman-Place.
After suffering from cardiomyopathy, his first cardiac arrest at just 11 years old, KC received a heart transplant in 2020.
He was on the transplant list for 405 days and on March 16, his life was changed forever.
Read more about the Demons' guernsey here.
North Melbourne's Indigenous guernsey, titled 'Kangaroo Way', was designed by Emma Bamblett.
The jumper was inspired by the Kangaroos' First Nations players, the unity of the club and its existence on Wurundjeri Country.
The foundation of the guernsey is the traditional stripes with symbols paying homage and respect to Bunjil for the Wurundjeri people and Arden Street Oval, the home of the Kangaroos.
The waterhole symbol represents the water surrounding the area, while the Kangaroo tracks throughout represent the journey of the club.
A proud Jaru woman, Jasmin Stewart's design is blended with art created by her grandfather, or her 'Jaja', who passed when the midfielder was young.
The layout was inspired by Yartapuulti's 2004 AFL premiership guernsey, with the snake splitting the teal and black sections, similar to the pattern on the retro men's strip.
The centrepiece is an intricately detailed snake, which was her Jaja's totem, with the snake also included because of its constant presence within Dreamtime stories.
Meaning rebirth, nourishment and new life, the snake is also the creator of land, and shaper of the earth, and fills waterholes, gorges and rivers.
The markings within the snake are pulled from Stewart's grandfather’s art, as is his signature, placed alongside a small sketch of a turkey, located in the bottom corner.
The Kimberley landscape was incorporated into many of his paintings, which has similarities to Kaurna land, on which Stewart now lives and plays football.
Read more about the Power's guernsey here.
Richmond's AFLW side will wear the same jumper as the club's men's side wore in this year's Sir Doug Nicholls Round, designed by Maurice Rioli jnr and his mother, Alberta Kerinauia.
The design speaks of the deep connection between the Rioli family and the Richmond Football Club. Maurice Rioli snr played 118 matches for Richmond and was a Norm Smith and Jack Dyer medallist.
The design features two family totems - the turtle (father) and the crocodile (mother). The spears featured on the back of the jumper depict those used for hunting or battle in the Tiwi Islands.
Tigers midfielder Maddie Shevlin said pulling on the Dreamtime guernsey as "really exciting."
"Maurice Rioli jnr designed ours. To be wearing the same jumper that our men's program had this year, (and) to be playing in Darwin, the home of Indigenous football, it's exciting," Shevlin said.
Read more about the Tigers' guernsey here.
The Saints' design will mark the first time that both the club's men's and women's guernseys for their respective rounds celebrating First Nations culture will be the same, in tandem with the name of Euro-Yroke.
The history of and the club's connection to Euro-Yroke are commemorated in this season's design created by proud Wagiman man and Indigenous artist, Nathan Patterson, which highlight the story of the Saints' homeland and those who have contributed to the yawa to-date.
Natural elements of Euro-Yroke are reflected across the red, yellow and black design, beginning with the water and waves of Nairm (Port Phillip Bay), moving to the sandy shorelines and through to the coastal vegetation further in-land; all meeting as one earth under the stripes of Euro-Yroke.
The story continues at the back of the guernsey through the silhouette of Narrm's (Melbourne's) hills, with an additional artwork featuring a symbol of mobs journeying to a central gathering point, in this case, the club.
Read more about the Saints' guernsey here.
Sydney's Marn Grook jumper is designed by young artist and GO Foundation alumni Lua Pellegrini, a proud Wiradjuri woman. She also designed the guernsey worn by Sydney's men's team in 2022 and 2023.
The front of the new design incorporates symbols that represents Sydney's women’s team gathering in the bottom left-hand corner. The circles are surrounded by people in the community, coming together to support the women’s team.
The back features three symbols that represents the three-year journey of Sydney’s women’s team so far.
Pellegrini worked on the design with former Swans Jaide Anthony and Aliesha Newman, who were the first two female First Nations players to pull on the red and white guernsey.
Read more about the Swans' guernsey here.
Designed for Waalitj Marawar by Yamatji artist Loretta Egan, a lifelong Eagles fan and niece of renowned actor Ernie Dingo, the 'Ngularl' [Wedge-Tailed Eagle] has also been influenced by former club champion Chris Lewis.
"The 'Ngularl' is the Wedge-Tailed Eagle in Wajarri language, surrounded by the map of WA - the home of the Eagle - where it stands proud and strong, facing east ready for anything that comes its way," Egan said.
"The circle in the centre represents the Eagles' nest. The U-shapes around the circle represent people sitting around the home of the Eagles. The four stars represent the four premierships we have won.
"The Eagle tracks up the top signify the Eagles players leaving their mark wherever they play. The other circles represent other AFL clubs."
Read more about the Eagles' guernsey here.
The Bulldogs' design is inspired by the communities and the land in Victoria’s west and was created by Tarni Jarvis, a proud Djab Wurrong, Kirrae Wurrong and Peak Wurrong woman who lives on Wadawurrung country in Ballarat.
The Dogs created two guernseys to mark Sir Doug Nicholls Round celebrations earlier this year – a home kit in the usual Bulldogs blue, as well as a clash guernsey that is predominately white.
The traditional hoops have been replaced with riverways, representing the connection between different countries of the west, while the arches at the bottom symbolise mountain ranges, with communities represented alongside. The same riverways can be seen in the background of the design as well.
Read more about the Bulldogs' guernsey here.
