MELBOURNE Football Club will rebrand itself as Narrm Football Club for the 2022 AFL Sir Doug Nicholls Round and AFLW Indigenous Round celebrations.

Narrm, the Aboriginal name for Melbourne, comes from Woi Wurrung, the language spoken by the traditional owners of the city and its surrounds.

The initiative is one of more than two years in the making, where the club worked closely with the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation to gain invaluable knowledge and permission of Narrm’s use.

Alongside celebrating and educating on Australia’s Indigenous history, the rebranding is designed to generate awareness and encourage productive conversations among the Demons’ member and supporter base.

The club will introduce a representative Narrm Football Club logo, which will take pride of place across all digital touchpoints, including website, social media and broadcast throughout the respective rounds.

The Narrm branding will then be integrated in-stadium for Melbourne’s Round 11 AFL match at the MCG, as part of Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

Melbourne CEO Gary Pert said the launch was a significant moment for the club.

“Today is an exciting day, as we announce Narrm Football Club to our members, supporters and the wider football community,” he said. 

“This initiative has been a focus of our RAP Committee for the past two years and is as much about acknowledgement and education as it is celebration.

“We have a rich Indigenous club history at Melbourne, from welcoming our first Indigenous player, Eddie Jackson, in 1947, to launching our second Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan earlier this year.

“It’s exciting to be building on this and taking a step further on our own journey, while bringing our fans along with us.

“Our vision for reconciliation is, through AFL, to unite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with non-Indigenous people, to understand and embrace history, culture and community.

“We hope with the Narrm Football Club initiative, we can continue to do just that and work towards a fully reconciled Australia.”

Narrm will first feature during AFL Round 10, when Melbourne faces North Melbourne for its away match at Marvel Stadium, before the Demons return to the MCG to host Fremantle in Round 11. The club will also take on the name of Narrm during Indigenous Round of the next AFL Women’s season.

Melbourne intends to continue this in Sir Doug Nicholls Round and AFLW Indigenous Round moving forward, beyond 2022.

Pert expressed his gratitude to those that have helped bring the initiative to life. 

“I would like to thank the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, which has been invaluable in sharing knowledge, guidance and permission,” Pert said.

“I would also like to recognise our Indigenous Projects Officer Matthew Whelan and our RAP Committee, who have been incredibly passionate and committed to ensuring this project is successful.

“We look forward to our members and supporters sharing in this journey with us and acknowledging the history of the land in which we call home.”

To celebrate the launch of Narrm, Melbourne will release a limited edition Narrm merchandise range, with all profits going towards the club’s various Indigenous programs.