Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round, name change from Adelaide Crows to Kuwarna, name change from West Coast Eagles to Waalitj Marawar, latest news

Adelaide and West Coast are the latest two AFL clubs to announce they will be rebranding for the upcoming Sir Doug Nicholls Indigenous Round.

Adelaide will be renamed Kuwarna, while the West Coast will be known as Waalitj Marawar in a celebration of indigenous culture and heritage. Changes will take place during Rounds 10 and 11.

It comes after Fremantle (Walyalup), Port Adelaide (Yartapuulti) and Melbourne (Naarm) changed their names for the Sir Doug Nicholls Round in recent years.

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Kuwarna (pronounced goo-wun-na) is the Kaurna translation of the word Crows and has been used in consultation with the Kaurna Warra Karrpanthi Language Corporation.

The rebrand pays tribute to the rich history of Adelaide’s Aboriginal players while promoting a deeper understanding and respect for Indigenous knowledge systems through language.

Superstar forward Izak Rankine helped design the Crows’ guernsey this year and said it was a proud and significant moment.

“It represents how far we’ve come in this industry in recognizing First Nations people and the contribution they’ve made to the game,” he said.

“Seeing the Club’s name change on television is great exposure, especially for young indigenous people who love football.”

“It shows that the Club is on board with celebrating indigenous culture and us as people, so it’s a pretty big and proud moment and continues what is already a wider celebration of the Sir Doug Nicholls Round,” added teammate Wayne Milera.

The new name of the West Coast: Waalitj Marawar means “Eagle of the West” in the local Noongar language.

Their guernsey is designed by Yamatji artist Loretta Egan and was influenced by former club champion Chris Lewis.

“The ‘Ngularl’ is the wedge-tailed eagle in the Wajarri language, surrounded by the map of WA, the home of the Eagle, where it stands proud and strong, facing east, ready for anything that comes its way,” Egan said.

“The circle in the center represents the Eagles’ nest. The U shapes around the circle represent people sitting around the Eagles’ house. The four stars represent the first four places we have earned.

“Eagle tracks on top mean Eagles players leave their mark wherever they play. The other circles represent other AFL clubs.”