2023 SANFLW First Nations Round

The second celebration of SANFLW First Nations Round is all set for this weekend, with all eight clubs set to don a specially-designed guernsey.

First Nations Round is a celebration and recognition of all SANFLW Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players past and present who have made, and continue to make, such a significant contribution to our national game.

Find out the stories behind the stunning guernseys to be worn this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“I was approached by the club to design the guernsey which was an exciting opportunity, and I got my family from the Northern Territory to help me design it,” Tesharna said.

“It meant a lot to me and my family to design the guernsey, and to run out in it will be something that I won’t forget.”

The design includes the story of her journey from Darwin to Adelaide as a child, her totem (the Willie Wagtail), the Norwood Football Club and the other SANFL clubs.

“My totem dreaming is the Willie Wagtail,” she said.

“I come from a long line of cultural knowledge that was passed down from my grandmother’s country – Ntaria (Hermannsburg). When we are born we are assigned an animal that depicts our spiritual knowledge to the country (Pmarra).

“As a child I showed and still do show significant resemblance to the Willie Wagtail, its movements and traits. Showing these traits shows how powerful my culture is.

“My totem is known to travel a lot and is a highly spiritual bird that has strong connections to Uluru, where my great great grandmother Auguste was born. I have been told many stories from my grandmothers, that I would show up to their houses and tap on their windows to let them know I was outside.”