Latest news with #DougNichollsRound
The Advertiser
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Legends demand AFL action on falling Indigenous numbers
Indigenous champions Michael Long and Stephen Michael have called on the AFL industry to do more to promote and support First Nations talent amid a sharp decline in numbers at the top level. A record total of 87 Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander players were on AFL club lists in 2020, but that number has fallen each year since. It sits at 62 in 2025, after Hawthorn's Cody Anderson (pick 64) was the only Indigenous player selected at last year's national draft. Malakai Champion and Ricky Mentha were selected as Category B rookies by West Coast and Melbourne respectively. Essendon legend Long spoke in recent weeks with a host of AFL clubs about what can be done to ensure more resources are put in place to support First Nations players. The 55-year-old hopes Sir Doug Nicholls Round can shine a light on the falling number of First Nations players at the top level and ultimately reverse the trend. "There's a lot of things that clubs can do, not just the AFL," Long said on Wednesday at the launch of this year's "Dreamtime at the G'' feature match. "Football's played at all different levels countrywide and in remote communities. I think we all have a role to play. "We spoke to some of the clubs in Adelaide about how can we work closely with the clubs and resource the clubs, because it's too important. "Obviously we've seen the dip, but we want to improve that and give every kid the opportunity, boys and girls." It emerged this week former Essendon list boss Adrian Dodoro had lobbied the AFL in 2021 to introduce a rule that would have made it mandatory for each club to recruit at least one Indigenous player each year. The initiative never got off the ground. Long said he had predicted the fall of First Nations player numbers at AFL level. "I saw it coming a few years ago with what was happening, not just on the field, but off the field," Long said. "Nothing's perfect in this world, but we want to see it get better, definitely. That's from past players. "This week we embrace what clubs do and the good things that are happening. That's important. "Hopefully from this week we can have those discussions, which leads from the AFL. "You've got to lead from the top, and it's important that we provide that pathway." South Fremantle legend Michael - the 2025 Sir Doug Nicholls Round honouree - believes a whole-of-game approach is required to boost support for First Nations players and improve talent pathways. "We all have to do something, somewhere along the line," Michael said. "We could have ideas, but it has to go through all clubs, from the top right down to the bottom and down in the country as well." Essendon host Richmond on Friday night in the 21st edition of the annual "Dreamtime at the G'' contest, which is the centrepiece of Sir Doug Nicholls Round. The signature moment from the first two decades of "Dreamtime at the G'' clashes came in 2022, when a group of eight Richmond players led a powerful pre-match war dance. Four of them - Shai Bolton, Daniel Rioli, Shane Edwards and Maurice Rioli Jr - played for the Tigers that night. This year, as few as two Indigenous players could feature, with Richmond's Rhyan Mansell set to play and Essendon's Jade Gresham cleared to return from injury. "Indigenous players have sort of dropped off the last few years, but there's a lot of talent out there in the community," Gresham said. "We've got to help out where we can. I'm not sure how that is. "The clubs I think are getting better at it, but there's a lot of improvement to go, I think, from the AFL as well." Indigenous champions Michael Long and Stephen Michael have called on the AFL industry to do more to promote and support First Nations talent amid a sharp decline in numbers at the top level. A record total of 87 Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander players were on AFL club lists in 2020, but that number has fallen each year since. It sits at 62 in 2025, after Hawthorn's Cody Anderson (pick 64) was the only Indigenous player selected at last year's national draft. Malakai Champion and Ricky Mentha were selected as Category B rookies by West Coast and Melbourne respectively. Essendon legend Long spoke in recent weeks with a host of AFL clubs about what can be done to ensure more resources are put in place to support First Nations players. The 55-year-old hopes Sir Doug Nicholls Round can shine a light on the falling number of First Nations players at the top level and ultimately reverse the trend. "There's a lot of things that clubs can do, not just the AFL," Long said on Wednesday at the launch of this year's "Dreamtime at the G'' feature match. "Football's played at all different levels countrywide and in remote communities. I think we all have a role to play. "We spoke to some of the clubs in Adelaide about how can we work closely with the clubs and resource the clubs, because it's too important. "Obviously we've seen the dip, but we want to improve that and give every kid the opportunity, boys and girls." It emerged this week former Essendon list boss Adrian Dodoro had lobbied the AFL in 2021 to introduce a rule that would have made it mandatory for each club to recruit at least one Indigenous player each year. The initiative never got off the ground. Long said he had predicted the fall of First Nations player numbers at AFL level. "I saw it coming a few years ago with what was happening, not just on the field, but off the field," Long said. "Nothing's perfect in this world, but we want to see it get better, definitely. That's from past players. "This week we embrace what clubs do and the good things that are happening. That's important. "Hopefully from this week we can have those discussions, which leads from the AFL. "You've got to lead from the top, and it's important that we provide that pathway." South Fremantle legend Michael - the 2025 Sir Doug Nicholls Round honouree - believes a whole-of-game approach is required to boost support for First Nations players and improve talent pathways. "We all have to do something, somewhere along the line," Michael said. "We could have ideas, but it has to go through all clubs, from the top right down to the bottom and down in the country as well." Essendon host Richmond on Friday night in the 21st edition of the annual "Dreamtime at the G'' contest, which is the centrepiece of Sir Doug Nicholls Round. The signature moment from the first two decades of "Dreamtime at the G'' clashes came in 2022, when a group of eight Richmond players led a powerful pre-match war dance. Four of them - Shai Bolton, Daniel Rioli, Shane Edwards and Maurice Rioli Jr - played for the Tigers that night. This year, as few as two Indigenous players could feature, with Richmond's Rhyan Mansell set to play and Essendon's Jade Gresham cleared to return from injury. "Indigenous players have sort of dropped off the last few years, but there's a lot of talent out there in the community," Gresham said. "We've got to help out where we can. I'm not sure how that is. "The clubs I think are getting better at it, but there's a lot of improvement to go, I think, from the AFL as well." Indigenous champions Michael Long and Stephen Michael have called on the AFL industry to do more to promote and support First Nations talent amid a sharp decline in numbers at the top level. A record total of 87 Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander players were on AFL club lists in 2020, but that number has fallen each year since. It sits at 62 in 2025, after Hawthorn's Cody Anderson (pick 64) was the only Indigenous player selected at last year's national draft. Malakai Champion and Ricky Mentha were selected as Category B rookies by West Coast and Melbourne respectively. Essendon legend Long spoke in recent weeks with a host of AFL clubs about what can be done to ensure more resources are put in place to support First Nations players. The 55-year-old hopes Sir Doug Nicholls Round can shine a light on the falling number of First Nations players at the top level and ultimately reverse the trend. "There's a lot of things that clubs can do, not just the AFL," Long said on Wednesday at the launch of this year's "Dreamtime at the G'' feature match. "Football's played at all different levels countrywide and in remote communities. I think we all have a role to play. "We spoke to some of the clubs in Adelaide about how can we work closely with the clubs and resource the clubs, because it's too important. "Obviously we've seen the dip, but we want to improve that and give every kid the opportunity, boys and girls." It emerged this week former Essendon list boss Adrian Dodoro had lobbied the AFL in 2021 to introduce a rule that would have made it mandatory for each club to recruit at least one Indigenous player each year. The initiative never got off the ground. Long said he had predicted the fall of First Nations player numbers at AFL level. "I saw it coming a few years ago with what was happening, not just on the field, but off the field," Long said. "Nothing's perfect in this world, but we want to see it get better, definitely. That's from past players. "This week we embrace what clubs do and the good things that are happening. That's important. "Hopefully from this week we can have those discussions, which leads from the AFL. "You've got to lead from the top, and it's important that we provide that pathway." South Fremantle legend Michael - the 2025 Sir Doug Nicholls Round honouree - believes a whole-of-game approach is required to boost support for First Nations players and improve talent pathways. "We all have to do something, somewhere along the line," Michael said. "We could have ideas, but it has to go through all clubs, from the top right down to the bottom and down in the country as well." Essendon host Richmond on Friday night in the 21st edition of the annual "Dreamtime at the G'' contest, which is the centrepiece of Sir Doug Nicholls Round. The signature moment from the first two decades of "Dreamtime at the G'' clashes came in 2022, when a group of eight Richmond players led a powerful pre-match war dance. Four of them - Shai Bolton, Daniel Rioli, Shane Edwards and Maurice Rioli Jr - played for the Tigers that night. This year, as few as two Indigenous players could feature, with Richmond's Rhyan Mansell set to play and Essendon's Jade Gresham cleared to return from injury. "Indigenous players have sort of dropped off the last few years, but there's a lot of talent out there in the community," Gresham said. "We've got to help out where we can. I'm not sure how that is. "The clubs I think are getting better at it, but there's a lot of improvement to go, I think, from the AFL as well."
West Australian
21-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Legends Michael Long and Stephen Michael demand AFL action on falling Indigenous numbers
Indigenous champions Michael Long and Stephen Michael have called on the AFL industry to do more to promote and support First Nations talent amid a sharp decline in numbers at the top level. A record total of 87 Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander players were on AFL club lists in 2020, but that number has fallen each year since. It sits at 62 in 2025, after Hawthorn's Cody Anderson (pick 64) was the only Indigenous player selected at last year's national draft. Malakai Champion and Ricky Mentha were selected as Category B rookies by West Coast and Melbourne respectively. Essendon legend Long spoke in recent weeks with a host of AFL clubs about what can be done to ensure more resources are put in place to support First Nations players. The 55-year-old hopes Sir Doug Nicholls Round can shine a light on the falling number of First Nations players at the top level and ultimately reverse the trend. 'There's a lot of things that clubs can do, not just the AFL,' Long said on Wednesday at the launch of this year's 'Dreamtime at the G'' feature match. 'Football's played at all different levels countrywide and in remote communities. I think we all have a role to play. 'We spoke to some of the clubs in Adelaide about how can we work closely with the clubs and resource the clubs, because it's too important. 'Obviously we've seen the dip, but we want to improve that and give every kid the opportunity, boys and girls.' It emerged this week former Essendon list boss Adrian Dodoro had lobbied the AFL in 2021 to introduce a rule that would have made it mandatory for each club to recruit at least one Indigenous player each year. The initiative never got off the ground. Long said he had predicted the fall of First Nations player numbers at AFL level. 'I saw it coming a few years ago with what was happening, not just on the field, but off the field,' Long said. 'Nothing's perfect in this world, but we want to see it get better, definitely. That's from past players. 'This week we embrace what clubs do and the good things that are happening. That's important. 'Hopefully from this week we can have those discussions, which leads from the AFL. 'You've got to lead from the top, and it's important that we provide that pathway.' South Fremantle legend Michael - the 2025 Sir Doug Nicholls Round honouree - believes a whole-of-game approach is required to boost support for First Nations players and improve talent pathways. 'We all have to do something, somewhere along the line,' Michael said. 'We could have ideas, but it has to go through all clubs, from the top right down to the bottom and down in the country as well.' Essendon host Richmond on Friday night in the 21st edition of the annual 'Dreamtime at the G'' contest, which is the centrepiece of Sir Doug Nicholls Round. The signature moment from the first two decades of 'Dreamtime at the G'' clashes came in 2022, when a group of eight Richmond players led a powerful pre-match war dance. Four of them - Shai Bolton, Daniel Rioli, Shane Edwards and Maurice Rioli Jr - played for the Tigers that night. This year, as few as two Indigenous players could feature, with Richmond's Rhyan Mansell set to play and Essendon's Jade Gresham cleared to return from injury. 'Indigenous players have sort of dropped off the last few years, but there's a lot of talent out there in the community,' Gresham said. 'We've got to help out where we can. I'm not sure how that is. 'The clubs I think are getting better at it, but there's a lot of improvement to go, I think, from the AFL as well.'
Perth Now
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Legends demand AFL action on falling Indigenous numbers
Indigenous champions Michael Long and Stephen Michael have called on the AFL industry to do more to promote and support First Nations talent amid a sharp decline in numbers at the top level. A record total of 87 Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander players were on AFL club lists in 2020, but that number has fallen each year since. It sits at 62 in 2025, after Hawthorn's Cody Anderson (pick 64) was the only Indigenous player selected at last year's national draft. Malakai Champion and Ricky Mentha were selected as Category B rookies by West Coast and Melbourne respectively. Essendon legend Long spoke in recent weeks with a host of AFL clubs about what can be done to ensure more resources are put in place to support First Nations players. The 55-year-old hopes Sir Doug Nicholls Round can shine a light on the falling number of First Nations players at the top level and ultimately reverse the trend. "There's a lot of things that clubs can do, not just the AFL," Long said on Wednesday at the launch of this year's "Dreamtime at the G'' feature match. "Football's played at all different levels countrywide and in remote communities. I think we all have a role to play. "We spoke to some of the clubs in Adelaide about how can we work closely with the clubs and resource the clubs, because it's too important. "Obviously we've seen the dip, but we want to improve that and give every kid the opportunity, boys and girls." It emerged this week former Essendon list boss Adrian Dodoro had lobbied the AFL in 2021 to introduce a rule that would have made it mandatory for each club to recruit at least one Indigenous player each year. The initiative never got off the ground. Long said he had predicted the fall of First Nations player numbers at AFL level. "I saw it coming a few years ago with what was happening, not just on the field, but off the field," Long said. "Nothing's perfect in this world, but we want to see it get better, definitely. That's from past players. "This week we embrace what clubs do and the good things that are happening. That's important. "Hopefully from this week we can have those discussions, which leads from the AFL. "You've got to lead from the top, and it's important that we provide that pathway." South Fremantle legend Michael - the 2025 Sir Doug Nicholls Round honouree - believes a whole-of-game approach is required to boost support for First Nations players and improve talent pathways. "We all have to do something, somewhere along the line," Michael said. "We could have ideas, but it has to go through all clubs, from the top right down to the bottom and down in the country as well." Essendon host Richmond on Friday night in the 21st edition of the annual "Dreamtime at the G'' contest, which is the centrepiece of Sir Doug Nicholls Round. The signature moment from the first two decades of "Dreamtime at the G'' clashes came in 2022, when a group of eight Richmond players led a powerful pre-match war dance. Four of them - Shai Bolton, Daniel Rioli, Shane Edwards and Maurice Rioli Jr - played for the Tigers that night. This year, as few as two Indigenous players could feature, with Richmond's Rhyan Mansell set to play and Essendon's Jade Gresham cleared to return from injury. "Indigenous players have sort of dropped off the last few years, but there's a lot of talent out there in the community," Gresham said. "We've got to help out where we can. I'm not sure how that is. "The clubs I think are getting better at it, but there's a lot of improvement to go, I think, from the AFL as well."
West Australian
19-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Walyalup (Fremantle) Dockers remain undefeated under Indigenous round name after victory over GWS Giants
Should the Fremantle Dockers be known as Walyalup permanently? That's the suggestion by some in the Purple Army after the club remained unbeaten under their Sir Doug Nicholls Round moniker. The Dockers have now won four games and drawn one as Walyalup after defeating Greater Western Sydney on Saturday. The 34-point victory also marked the first time the side has beaten the Giants at ENGIE Stadium in five appearances. The remarkable 4-1-0 run has prompted some fans to urge the club to adopt the Indigenous name full-time. 'Can we permanently keep our name to Walyalup?' one fan asked, while another said: 'At this point, we do a permanent change right?' 'Petition to be Walyalup every round,' another fan added, while another said: 'Let's change the name then'. 'I vote for a permanent name change,' another said, while one supporter demanded the club 'keep the name'. 'I've seen enough, change the club's name permanently to Walyalup,' another said. 'That's the curse breaker. Rename Fremantle to Walyalup permanently,' another added of the win in Sydney. 'I'm all for us changing the name to Walyalup,' another fan added. Walyalup are one of six clubs to go by an Indigenous name for Sir Doug Nicholls Round in 2025, alongside Narrm (Melbourne), Waalitj Marawar (West Coast), Euro-Yroke (St Kilda), Yartapuulti (Port Adelaide) and Kuwarna (Adelaide). The Dockers first introduced the name change in 2023, following the lead of the Demons, who became the first club in the league to adopt an Indigenous name the year prior. Walyalup refers to the Noongar country in and around Fremantle. Walayalup and Narrm's meeting in 2023 marked the first time two clubs with Indigenous names played each other in the AFL, with the Dockers prevailing by seven points at the MCG. The Dockers also defeated Geelong by 29 points the week prior in their first game as Walyalup. A victory over Euro-Yroke (St Kilda) in 2024 was followed by a draw against Collingwood, in the only game they didn't walk away with all four points. Walyalup will hope to keep their unbeaten run alive with a crunch clash against Yartapuulti, who have lost their past three games. The club will host the struggling Power at Optus Stadium on Saturday night and will continue to use the name Walyalup until the conclusion of Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
Perth Now
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Should Dockers make Walyalup name change permanent?
Should the Fremantle Dockers be known as Walyalup permanently? That's the suggestion by some in the Purple Army after the club remained unbeaten under their Sir Doug Nicholls Round moniker. The Dockers have now won four games and drawn one as Walyalup after defeating Greater Western Sydney on Saturday. The 34-point victory also marked the first time the side has beaten the Giants at ENGIE Stadium in five appearances. The remarkable 4-1-0 run has prompted some fans to urge the club to adopt the Indigenous name full-time. 'Can we permanently keep our name to Walyalup?' one fan asked, while another said: 'At this point, we do a permanent change right?' 'Petition to be Walyalup every round,' another fan added, while another said: 'Let's change the name then'. 'I vote for a permanent name change,' another said, while one supporter demanded the club 'keep the name'. 'I've seen enough, change the club's name permanently to Walyalup,' another said. 'That's the curse breaker. Rename Fremantle to Walyalup permanently,' another added of the win in Sydney. 'I'm all for us changing the name to Walyalup,' another fan added. Walyalup are one of six clubs to go by an Indigenous name for Sir Doug Nicholls Round in 2025, alongside Narrm (Melbourne), Waalitj Marawar (West Coast), Euro-Yroke (St Kilda), Yartapuulti (Port Adelaide) and Kuwarna (Adelaide). The Dockers first introduced the name change in 2023, following the lead of the Demons, who became the first club in the league to adopt an Indigenous name the year prior. Walyalup refers to the Noongar country in and around Fremantle. Pat Voss celebrates a goal. Credit: Cameron Spencer/AFL Photos / Getty Images Walayalup and Narrm's meeting in 2023 marked the first time two clubs with Indigenous names played each other in the AFL, with the Dockers prevailing by seven points at the MCG. The Dockers also defeated Geelong by 29 points the week prior in their first game as Walyalup. A victory over Euro-Yroke (St Kilda) in 2024 was followed by a draw against Collingwood, in the only game they didn't walk away with all four points. Walyalup will hope to keep their unbeaten run alive with a crunch clash against Yartapuulti, who have lost their past three games. The club will host the struggling Power at Optus Stadium on Saturday night and will continue to use the name Walyalup until the conclusion of Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
