The Victorian Football League will join the AFL industry in celebrating the excellence and contribution of First Nations people to the game of Australian Rules Football, with the 2026 Sir Doug Nicholls Round to be held over the next fortnight.
Held across Round 10 and 11 of the 2026 Toyota AFL Premiership Season, this season marks the 11th year of honouring Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls as the namesake.
Sir Doug Nicholls Round will also be celebrated across Round 8 and 9 of the Smithy's VFL season and Round 1 and 2 of the VFLW season.
From 2026, Sir Doug Nicholls Round will be underpinned by an enduring theme that consistently carries across years: ‘Strengthened by First Nations. Moments. Connections. Stories.’
The theme provides an opportunity for the AFL, clubs and players to showcase defining moments, people, and stories that celebrate the sporting legacy of First Nations people within the game and beyond, and that the game is stronger when First Nations players are at the heart of it.
AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said: "Sir Doug Nicholls Round continues to be one of the most meaningful rounds on the AFL calendar, celebrating the profound contribution of First Nations people to the game past, present and future.
“Today we are proud to launch the AFL First Nations Impact Fund, with royalties from the Sir Doug Nicholls Round merchandise going towards partnering with Clubs to invest in initiatives that support First Nations people.
"We reinforce the AFL's First Nations Strategy is an industry-wide commitment alongside our clubs and partners, across both men’s and women’s competitions focusing on attracting, retaining and valuing First Nations excellence on and off the field.
“Michael McLean has made an incredible impact on the game both on and off the field, and we are very proud to formerly recognise his contributions and highlight his achievement on a national scale over the next two weeks as this year's Honouree."
AFL General Manager First Nations and Inclusion Taryn Lee said: “The AFL First Nations Impact Fund is about strengthening how we work together with clubs to deliver meaningful outcomes aligned to our First Nations Strategy. By partnering with clubs and reinvesting royalties from Sir Doug Nicholls Round merchandise, we are directly investing in the future of First Nations participation in our game.
“We have set a goal of 111 First Nations players by 2030, and achieving this requires coordinated effort across the industry. This fund ensures we’re backing that ambition with sustained investment and collaboration with clubs.
"What makes this fund unique is that it connects fans directly to that impact. When supporters purchase Sir Doug Nicholls Round merchandise, they’re not just buying a Guernsey, they are supporting First Nations stories, culture and community, and helping fund programs that deliver real outcomes aligned to our industry-wide commitment and First Nations Strategy.
“Clubs are crucial to this work. Through strong partnerships, we can deliver targeted initiatives that not only grow First Nations participation, but strengthen connection to culture and community, and create more supported pathways into our game.”
CLUB GUERNSEYS
Many VFL and VFLW clubs will wear their own specifically designed Indigenous guernseys across Sir Doug Nicholls Round. Each club has worked closely with First Nations artists to design guernseys that tell stories of First Nations culture, history, traditions, and resilience.
UMPIRE UNIFORMS
All VFL and VFLW umpires will wear uniforms celebrating First Nations cultures that have been designed by Noongar Wandandi Boodja man and 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.
