MONDAY morning proved to be a significant one for the Melbourne Football Club, announcing a rebrand for Sir Doug Nicholls Round and AFLW Indigenous Round in 2022.
For the first time in the Demons’ history, they will be referred to by a different name: Narrm Football Club.
And for Melbourne’s CEO Gary Pert, this announcement comes with great pride.
“This is a very big step for such a famous club to be the Narrm Football Club,” he said.
“It’s an exciting announcement by the club, something that we haven’t done before.
“This is all about creating awareness, creating the conversation, maybe even debate.”
In another first, the Dees’ AFL and AFLW sides will be wearing the same guernsey this year, designed by Wurundjeri/Dja Dja Wurrung artist, Ky-ya Nicholson Ward.
The story behind the jumper complements the Narrm name, and provides the Demons with an opportunity to acknowledge the land on which they play.
“As Aunty Joy said, this is the Indigenous word for Melbourne – a word that’s been used for thousands of years by the Indigenous communities of this region here as well,” Pert said.
“As part of the renaming we’ll be changing our logo for that period of time.”
The Australian Sports Museum will also be having a red and blue takeover, displaying all 13 of Melbourne’s Indigenous guernseys worn across the AFL and AFLW since 2014.
To hear more from Pert, and other speakers throughout the Narrm Launch, watch the video below.
