2025 AFLW Indigenous Round honouree Kirby Bentley with (back) Mon Conti, Mia Kings, Jordy Allen, Kaitlyn Ashmore, Louise Stephenson, Maddi Gay, (front) Tyla Hanks, Natalie Plane, Gab Pound and Amy McDonald. Picture: AFL Photos

THE AFL industry will celebrate the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to the game, with the return of its annual AFLW Indigenous Round during rounds three and four of the NAB AFLW Competition.

This year marks the sixth occasion the League will hold a dedicated round, with this season's theme of 'Past Legacies, Future Legends' celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have paved the way for women's football in the past and those who will continue to build on their legacies in the future.

For the second time in the competition's history, the iconic Sherrin football will feature traditional Aboriginal artwork which this year has been designed by Brisbane-based artist and Martu woman, Emma MacNeill. The design represents daughters across generations and features the word 'Puutpulpa' (pronounced put-pull-arr) which means 'football' in Martu Wangka language.

Each year, the AFLW Indigenous Round recognises a woman who has made a significant contribution to football, particularly in advancing the involvement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

The AFL is proud to announce this year's AFLW Indigenous Round Honouree is Noongar Yamatji woman and inaugural AFLW player, Kirby Bentley.

Bentley has had a significant influence on the game both on and off the field through her playing career, coaching roles, and advocacy for youth and mental health. A proud West Australian, her contribution to supporting female football talent pathways was recognised with the establishment of the annual Kirby Bentley Cup tournament in 2014 that helps young First Nations girls aged 13-15 transition into the WAFLW pathway.

Bentley is the sixth person to be named as an honouree for the dedicated round, following fellow honourees Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin AO (2021), Alicia Janz (Season 6, 2022), Aunty Pam Pedersen (Season 7, 2022), Ebony Abbott-McCormack (2023) and Mary Dunn (2024).

2025 AFLW Indigenous Round honouree Kirby Bentley during the launch at the Koorie Heritage Trust. Picture: AFL Photos

Gathering at the new Connie Hart: One Stitch at a Time exhibition at the Koorie Heritage Trust in Melbourne to officially launch the round, AFL General Manager First Nations Engagement and Inclusion, Taryn Lee said AFLW Indigenous Round was an important event to celebrate First Nations excellence.

"The AFL is proud to launch its sixth dedicated AFLW Indigenous Round where we can all come together as an industry and broader community to acknowledge the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women across generations," Lee said.

"We're thrilled to recognise Kirby Bentley as our AFLW Indigenous Honouree this year, who has been a terrific role model, advocate and leader for our game both on and off the field.

"This year's theme of Past Legacies, Future Legends highlights the many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who have paved the way for women's football and this year's new ball design by Emma MacNeill is a great example of how we are celebrating the women of the past and the exciting future ahead.

"AFLW Indigenous Round is an important event on the Australian sporting calendar and with a host of exciting cultural celebrations and blockbuster matches lined up across the country, it's sure to be one all fans can enjoy."

All 2025 AFLW Indigenous Round games will be played with a Sherrin designed by artist Emma MacNeill, a proud Martu woman. Image: Richmond FC

AFLW Indigenous Round begins in Darwin with the second annual Dreamtime match between Essendon and Richmond at TIO Stadium on Friday night, which will feature a special pre-match entertainment performance by 2025 National Indigenous Music Awards Artist of the Year winner, Emily Wurramara.

The celebrations will extend to far north Queensland in the second week of the dedicated round with a marquee match at Cairns' Cazaly Stadium between Hawthorn and St Kilda on Saturday September 6.

Six AFLW clubs will swap their name for traditional in-language names – with the Adelaide Crows known as Kuwarna (pronounced goo-wun-na), St Kilda as Euro-Yroke (pronounced yoo-roe yoo-roe-ck), the West Coast Eagles will become Waalitj Marawar (pronounced wah-litch mara-wah), Fremantle will be known as Walyalup (pronounced wul-yul-up), Port Adelaide as Yartapuulti (pronounced Yarta–pole-tee), and Melbourne will become Narrm (pronounced na-arm).

In addition, all 18 clubs and AFL umpires will once again wear specially designed jumpers recognising First Nations culture, while ground signage will feature the names of the Traditional Custodians of the land each match is played on.

In 2025 there are 21 current AFLW and 61 AFL players who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. 

(L-R) Mia King, Lucy Amon, Katrina Amon and Natalie Plane during the 2025 AFLW Indigenous launch at the Koorie Heritage Trust. Picture: AFL Photos

General Manager of AFLW, Emma Moore said she was looking forward to seeing fans of all ages soak up the excitement of AFLW Indigenous Round.

"Celebrating AFLW Indigenous Round is always a special moment in the NAB AFLW season, and I can't wait for the action to kick off on Friday night with the Dreamtime match between Richmond and Essendon in Darwin," Moore said.

"We have a huge fixture of matches across the next fortnight all footy fans can enjoy including Geelong taking on the Swans at GMHBA, Port tackling the Suns at Alberton and the marquee game between Hawthorn and St Kilda in Cairns on Saturday, September 6, to name a few. With the finals bye in the AFL, I would encourage everyone to head along and support their AFLW team.

"Tickets are only $15 for adults and under 18s are free making it very accessible for families to experience what the AFLW has to offer and get up close to the action."

Matches in the 2025 NAB AFLW competition will be broadcast live on the Seven Network, 7plus, Foxtel, Kayo and Binge.

Tickets for matched in AFLW Indigenous Round are on sale for only $15 with kids under 18 free. Visit womens.afl for more information.

Tyla Hanks and Jordyn Allen pose during the 2025 AFLW Indigenous Round launch at the Koorie Heritage Trust. Picture: AFL Photos

MORE INFORMATION:

Kirby Bentley (2025 AFLW  Indigenous Round Honouree):
Kirby is a proud Noongar Yamatji woman from Perth who played netball at the highest level for West Coast Fever and Western Sting, before making the change to Aussie Rules with Swan Districts in with WAFLW. Signed by Fremantle for the inaugural AFLW season in 2017, Kirby later played for Carlton before retiring. Her passion for the game saw her transition into coaching where she held roles with the Western Bulldogs and Essendon Football clubs. Established in 2014, the Kirby Bentley Cup is an annual tournament for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls aged 13–15. Coordinated by WA Football, it supports emerging talent and provides a pathway into the WAFLW. Kirby’s legacy is defined not only by her on-field excellence but also by her unwavering dedication to creating pathways for the next generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in football. She is also a prominent advocate for mental health and domestic violence awareness.

2025 Sherrin ball design:
This year’s AFLW Indigenous Round ball designed by Emma MacNeill represents our past, current and our future daughters. The circle style shapes on the ball are all joining with pathways representing places; whether it be where we are from, where we have been too or where we are heading. The large U shapes on the ball are the women and men who raised us and who laid the foundations as we grow. The smaller U shapes represent us... the daughters! Deadly strong women who have broken stereotypes, faced changes fiercely and challenged the word "can't." The small circles that feature throughout the background of the design represent our spirit, our hope and our connection to one another that will forever carry on to the next generation and beyond. Emma MacNeill was born in the heart of the Kimberley in an Angra Tural town called Kununurra, WA. Emma is a modern artist specialising in traditional storytelling, with her work inspired by the connections formed by people and her journey into motherhood. 

Club name changes:
A third of all AFL clubs will change their names to translations in Traditional Owner’s language across AFLW Indigenous Round. Pronunciations of the clubs' names can be accessed HERE. The Adelaide Crows will be known as Kuwarna (pronounced goo-wun-na) which is the Kaurna translation for the word 'crows'. Fremantle will be known as Walyalup (pronounced wul-yul-up) which is the Noongar name for the Fremantle region. Melbourne will be known as Narrm (pronounced na-arm) which derives from the Woi Wurrung language meaning Melbourne. Port Adelaide will be Yartapuulti (pronounced Yarta–pole-tee) comes from the Kaurna language meaning the land surrounding the Port River. St Kilda will be known as Euro-Yroke (pronounced yoo-roe yoo-roe-ck) which is the Boon Wurrung translation for 'St Kilda'. The West Coast Eagles will be known as Waalitj Marawar (pronounced wah-litch mara-wah) which means 'Eagle of the West' in the local Noongar language.

Ground signage:
As part of the dedicated round the AFLW will acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land each match is played on, with ground signage at all matches to feature the name of the Traditional Owners.

Club guernseys:
All 18 AFLW clubs will wear their own specifically designed Indigenous guernseys across the fortnight of AFLW Indigenous Round. Each club has worked closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to design guernseys that tell stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s culture, history, traditions, and resilience. Visit WIndigenous.AFL for more information.

Umpire uniform design:
All AFLW Umpires will wear uniforms celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures that have been designed by Noongar Wandandi Boodja man and AFL umpire, Joshua James. The artwork on the uniform is called ‘Moorditj Koondarm’ which means "Strong Dreams" in Noongar language. It also includes the dreamtime story of James and the ambitions of Aboriginal people. "The story behind the artwork is to showcase how strong, resilient and self-determined Aboriginal people are and the unity of people coming together from all around Australia regardless of peoples’ skin colour, culture, sexual orientation or beliefs," James said. Every State and Territory of Australia is represented in the design with a pathway coming together to a central yarning circle representing the AFL. This shows the unity of the Umpiring family regardless of which State or Territory each umpire comes from to umpire in a truly National Competition. A vital aspect of the artwork is the shield located in the centre of the design, The shield will provide any umpire that wears the design to overcome any challenge they may be going through in their lives either on or off the field. Mr James encourages all umpires within the AFLW to wear the design with pride over the next two weeks and that they can connect to the story behind the design. 

Connie Hart: One Stitch at a Time exhibition
Connie Hart: One Stitch at a Time, is the first major solo retrospective exhibition to be held by the Koorie Heritage Trust, dedicated to the fibre-works of the late esteemed Gunditjmara Elder and master weaver, Aunty Connie Hart (1917–1993). This landmark exhibition showcases over fifty works created by Aunty Connie during the mid-to-late 1980s and early 1990s, many of which are held in the KHT’s unique collection of Victorian and Southeast Australian art and cultural belongings. One Stitch at a Time honours the powerful cultural and artistic legacy of Aunty Connie’s weaving practice. Her fibre-art speak to the survival and continuity of weaving as a vital First Peoples cultural practice in Southeast Australia, one that resonates nationally and bridges cultural and language groups throughout Australia. The exhibition will run from 23 August - 23 November 2025. For more information, click here.