The AFL’s Indigenous Round has been renamed in honour of Sir Doug Nicholls, the former VFL player who was the first Aboriginal person to be knighted.
The inaugural Sir Doug Nicholls Round will be played in round 10 of the 2016 Toyota AFL Premiership season with the GIANTS playing Adelaide at Adelaide Oval on Saturday, May 28 at 7.40pm (EST).
The traditional Dreamtime at the ‘G match will be played on the same night between Essendon and Richmond.
Nicholls was born in GIANTS territory in southern New South Wales in 1906 on the Cummeragunja Aboriginal Mission.
AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan said the Commission had elected to name the round in honour of the former Fitzroy player after the proposal had been discussed at length by the AFL’s Indigenous Advisory Council.
“Sir Doug Nicholls is the great untold story of Australian football, and he represented both the values of our game and epitomised the spirit of reconciliation,” Mr McLachlan said.
“He was the first Indigenous player to represent Victoria at state level, while playing for Fitzroy, and during his life he was an elite runner, boxer, Churches of Christ Pastor, Justice of the Peace, was awarded both the MBE (1957) and the OBE (1968) before being knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1972, and served as governor South Australia.
“He was a pioneering campaigner for reconciliation but his love for and commitment to Australian football was the glue that brought together all the other facets of his life,” he said.
The GIANTS defeated Adelaide in their only contest last season, winning by 24 points at Spotless Stadium in round 8.
It could be the first time former GIANTS player Curtly Hampton plays against his old club after being traded to the Crows in the recent trade period.
The GIANTS fixture is taking shape with Melbourne (MCG) in round 1, Port Adelaide (StarTrack Oval Canberra) in round 4, Hawthorn (Spotless Stadium) in round 5 and Adelaide in round 10.
The entire AFL fixture will be released on Thursday, October 29 with full coverage on gwsgiants.com.au.
Sir Dough Nicholls Round fixture – local times
Friday May 27
Sydney Swans v North Melbourne at the SCG, 7.50pm
Saturday May 28
Brisbane Lions v Hawthorn at the Gabba, 1.45pm
Melbourne v Port Adelaide at TIO Traeger Park, 1.40pm
St Kilda v Fremantle at Etihad Stadium, 4.35pm
Adelaide Crows v GWS GIANTS at Adelaide Oval, 7.10pm
Essendon v Richmond at the MCG, 7.25pm
Sunday May 29
Carlton v Geelong Cats at Etihad Stadium, 1.10pm
West Coast v Gold Coast Suns at Domain Stadium, 2.40pm
Collingwood v Western Bulldogs at the MCG, 3.20pm
