The Magpies hosted Morningside at home on Saturday 5 June to celebrate Sir Doug Nicholls Round in what was a fantastic community event.

The Senior game was be preceded by a “Welcome to Country” from traditional custodians of the land and then the players, umpires and coaches will take part in a traditional ‘Smoking Ceremony” both courtesy of Tribal Experiences.

At half time, we heard from ex Sherwood Captain Dean Parkin. Dean is Director of From the Heart. Four years ago, he co-facilitated the National Constitutional Convention to craft the Uluru Statement from the Heart, a simple but profound statement of intent to transform the relationship between Indigenous Australia and the rest of the country.

After the conclusion of the Mens QAFL Senior game and prior to our Senior Women's teams game, we enjoyed traditional dancing from the Wagga Torres Strait Islander Dance Company .

The host MC was Magpie Life Member Wil Ivinson, a man of immense integrity and history with the Pies and in keeping with the day he has both Aboriginal and Islander blood with his mother from the Wakka Wakka tribe whose traditional lands were from just north of Brisbane up to the Gayndah area and his father also having both Aboriginal and Islander heritage with his ancestors from the Murrinh Patha tribe from near Wadeye in the NT and from Mer Island (Murray Is) in the Torres Strait. ‘Tracker’ as he is often known has played for the Magpies since the early 90's and as recently as 2014, has coached Colts to Premierships, been a long term trainer for various senior sides (and AFL clubs as well) and is the current junior coaching director (and u10 coach) at Sherwood.

The Australian Rules Football community celebrated the Sir Doug Nicholls Round last weekend across the country. Nicholls was a pioneering indigenous player who played in the 1930s and was somewhjat of a trail blazer but he suffered racial vilification playing football. He was a great Austrlaian and was the Governor of South Australia in the 1970s, AFL clubs have embraced this round in spectacular fashion with the wonderful Dreamtime at the G a headline cultural event, not just a game of footy. It must also be said that the guernsey designs and the stories behind them are also a wonderful part of the weekend.