THE AFL launched the 2016 Toyota AFL Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round today at the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Sydney.

The launch took significance as the first time the league has renamed a round in honour of one individual.

Sir Doug Nicholls was born on Cummeragunja mission in New South Wales in 1906, he played football for Fitzroy before becoming a Pastor and pioneer for reconciliation in Australia. He then went on to become the first Indigenous person to be Knighted and hold the position of Governor of South Australia.

Round 10 of the Toyota AFL Premiership Season will celebrate the contribution Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have made to Australian Football and will begin with the Marngrook game at the Sydney Cricket Ground when the Sydney Swans take on North Melbourne on Friday night.

In marking the tenth year the AFL has celebrated Indigenous Round as part of the Toyota AFL Premiership Season, CEO Gillon McLachlan spoke about the game’s history.

“Our relationship with Indigenous Australia is central to the history of the game ­ a history that started with Marngrook,” Mr McLachlan said.

“We are very lucky to have had so many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander champions, past greats who have shaped our game and present players who continue to captivate fans around the country.

“This generation of stars, like Eddie Betts, Cyril Rioli and Buddy Franklin, follow in the footsteps of the likes of Adam Goodes, Andrew McLeod, Michael Long and Graham ‘Polly’ Farmer, who are rightfully considered some of our game’s greatest champions. But the name of one great champion has not had the recognition it deserves.

“An elite footballer, athlete, boxer and community leader, Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls is one of Australia’s great untold stories.

“With the support of AFL’s Indigenous Advisory Council and the family of Sir Doug Nicholls, we are thrilled to see Indigenous Round now carry the name of a person who embodies the AFL’s values of resilience, respect and reconciliation,” he said.

Sir Doug Nicholls' daughter, Aunty Pam Pedersen, spoke on behalf of the family as she expressed their pride in the renaming of the round.

“This has never happened for any player in football, for it be an Aboriginal player, my father, is a great mark of respect to his enduring legacy in both football and the community,” Aunty Pam said.

“In 1927 my dad arrived in Melbourne and slept in empty fruit boxes at Victoria Market but within half-a-century he had become the first Aboriginal Governor when he was appointed to that role in South Australia.

“I feel so proud my Dad’s story, our family’s story, will now be told nationally and his legacy will continue to inspire not only footballers but all Australians for generations to come,” she said.

As part of celebrating the name change, the AFL commissioned a short film to tell the story of Sir Doug Nicholls’ extraordinary life which will air across AFL.com.au this week.

It was also announced at today’s launch that Rio Tinto would be extending their partnership with the AFL’s Footy Means Business program to support all Indigenous Programs for the next four years.

The AFL is also once again partnering with RECOGNISE, a group dedicated to supporting the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution.

Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls

  • Born December 9, 1906 in Cummeragunja NSW
  • Died June 4, 1988 in Mooroopna, Victoria
  • VFL/AFL: 54 games for Fitzroy Football Club 1932-1937. Victorian representative player for two games.
  • Was third in Fitzroy's best and fairest count in 1934
  • VFA (now VFL): Northcote Football Club 1927-1931 and 1938-1939. VFA representative player for two games.
  • Northcote Football Club's best and fairest player in 1929 and 1930.
  • Played in Northcote Football Club's premiership side in 1929.
  • Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order 1977
  • Knight Bachelor 1972
  • Governor of South Australia 1976-1977
  • OBE 1968
  • MBE 1957

PROGRAM OF MATCHES (all times are local)

Round Ten, Toyota AFL Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round:

Friday May 27

Sydney Swans v North Melbourne at the SCG, 7.50pm;

Saturday May 21

Melbourne v Port Adelaide at Traeger Park, 1.40pm

Brisbane Lions v Hawthorn at the Gabba, 1.45pm

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; (Curtain Raiser – Footy Means Business, 2.55pm)

Sunday May 22

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