Austinn Lane, Yorke Peninsula Country Times

Round 7 of the 2025 Yorke Peninsula football and netball competitions’ season marked the celebration of First Nations Round — a special opportunity to recognise Indigenous players and culture across YP.

Played on Saturday, May 24, the round preceded the start of Reconciliation Week (May 27 to June 3) and coincided with the AFL’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

Matches were hosted by Moonta, Central Yorke, Ardrossan and Kadina, with clubs embracing the chance to honour Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their contributions to the game.

YP Football League president Brad Haylock said the round was a meaningful step in acknowledging the importance of First Nations people in football.

“Indigenous people are a massive part of football and we are proud to recognise this in our league,” he said. “We’ve had plenty of great past and current Indigenous footballers on the peninsula, so this is a really special round.”

Several clubs took extra steps to showcase their support. Kadina Football Club wore a one-off guernsey that highlighted the club’s connection to Indigenous culture. Central Yorke Football Club and CMS Crows also took to the field in specially designed guernseys for their matches against Wallaroo and Ardrossan, respectively. Moonta Demons and Southern Eagles also sported uniquely designed jumpers in their clash at Moonta.

This article appeared in Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 27 May 2025.