A FIVE-PERSON all-Indigenous coaching panel has been locked in to lead the Indigenous All-Stars side against Fremantle on February 15.
A quartet of assistants plucked from clubs around the League will join North Melbourne assistant coach Xavier Clarke, who was announced as the side's head coach in December.
Port Adelaide's Jason Williams, Fremantle's Roger Hayden, North Melbourne's Jarrod Lienert and West Coast's Chance Bateman have been announced as assistant coaches for the side, while Adelaide fitness guru Darren Burgess will be the All-Stars' high performance manager and will work with the individual club high performance managers in the lead up to the match.
Williams is in his second season at the Power and works with the club's developing forwards as well as coaching the NGA, while Hayden played 128 games for the Dockers before joining the coaching ranks as a development coach and backline coach for nine seasons and is now a NGA coach.
Hayden also designed the guernsey that the Dockers will wear for the game.
Lienert is the Kangaroos' development coach and Indigenous player development manager while Bateman is the Eagles' First Nations player development manager.
The Indigenous All-Stars will be back in action for the first time since 2015 when they take on Fremantle in an exhibition game at Optus Stadium on February 15 as part of the pre-season fixture.
Some of the names already confirmed for this year's match include Fremantle trio Alex Pearce, Shai Bolton and Michael Walters, Lions premiership pair Charlie Cameron and Callum Ah Chee, along with West Coast's Liam Ryan, Magpie Bobby Hill, St Kilda's Brad Hill, Demons forward Kysaiah Pickett, Adelaide star Izak Rankine and Hawks defender Jarman Impey.
The Indigenous All-Stars selection panel, chaired by Sydney champion Michael O'Loughlin, will announce the rest of the squad in the coming weeks.
"It is fantastic to have an all-Indigenous coaching panel join Xavier for this significant match," AFL executive general manager of social policy and inclusion Tanya Hosch said.
"We want to see Indigenous representation increase across the board in football, including within the coaching ranks, so to have an all-Indigenous coaching panel for this game is terrific."
AFL executive general manager of football Laura Kane said there was a strong field of applicants keen to take on the roles.
"Since we announced the match, the buy-in from the clubs, players and coaches, has been exceptional and we were inundated with applications for the various roles within the program," footy boss Laura Kane said.
"We are thrilled to appoint these coaches and give them the opportunity to work with Xavier and in turn gain valuable experience in their coaching pathway.
"We are also delighted to have Darren Burgess join a number of highly experienced club staff across a variety of roles.
"Darren's experience will help ensure this program is run in line with the expectations of the players' clubs ahead of the start of the Toyota Premiership season."
2025 Indigenous All Stars Squad*
Callum Ah Chee (Brisbane) - Noongar, Palyku and Nyikina, Yawuru
Shai Bolton (Fremantle) - Minang and Wilman
Charlie Cameron (Brisbane) - Waanyi and Lardil
Bobby Hill (Collingwood) - Whadjuk, Ballardong, Noongar
Brad Hill (St Kilda) - Wilmen, Noongar
Jarman Impey (Hawthorn) - Yorta Yorta
Alex Pearce (Fremantle) - Palawa
Kysaiah Pickett (Melbourne) - Yamatji, Noongar
Liam Ryan (West Coast) - Yamatji
Izak Rankine (Adelaide) - Kokatha and Ngarrindjeri
Michael Walters (Fremantle) - Whadjuk, Wilmen and Ngarrindjeri
*More to be announced
Tickets are on sale now and start at $10 for a junior under 15, and $35 for an adult, with family tickets (two adults and two juniors) at $70, allowing juniors to attend free. For tickets and information, visit http://allstars.afl