Round 7 of our 2026 season is our annual Indigenous Round where all our senior football and A-Grade netball teams will once again be dressed in their respective custom designed Indigenous uniforms which players and fans have become familiar with.
We are grateful and honoured to continue our partnership with Djaara, highlighted by the annual Indigenous themed round played on Dja Dja Wurrung Country which has been developed through ongoing partnerships between members of Djaara, the Bendigo FNL and AFL Central Victoria.
The round is being held during National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June), this year featuring the Golden Square and South Bendigo Football Netball Clubs at Wade Street as the feature match. This match brings together Central Victorian Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal members to provide an opportunity for continual learning, whilst paying recognition to the living Aboriginal culture of the traditional owners, the Dja Dja Wurrung.
BFNL Indigenous Round is a much anticipated and ever-developing marquee event for the BFNL, bringing the community together and using local football and netball as a platform to initiate continued conversation and further promote a deeper education surrounding respective local Indigenous history, highlighted by all BFNL clubs competing in the custom designed football and netball uniforms.
This year, a few BFNL Clubs have done a fantastic job, using their local indigenous contacts to design and create new football jumpers and/or netball dresses.
Both Golden Square and South Bendigo will be wearing brand new designs for their feature match today with explanations of their designs in this Record.
Djaara (Dja Dja Wurrung People) have lived on our traditional lands and cared for djandak (Country) over many thousands of years.
Today, we will take part in a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony on djandak. We thank Djaara for sharing Cultural knowledge through language, presentations, on Country talks.
The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2026 is All In, a call for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every single day.
All In makes clear that reconciliation is not a spectator sport and that all of us must step away from the sidelines and take action to make change.
As customary for the annual BFNL Indigenous Round feature matches, Golden Square and South Bendigo senior teams will be playing for the Wirama Shield in both football and netball, with individual awards presented to those players judged best afield or court for their respective teams.
Under 18 and Reserve’s football matches will commence 15 minutes ahead of the regular schedule today to allow us to involve all football and netball playing groups, along with officiating umpires, BFNL, and Djaara, in our customary on-field acknowledgement of country smoking ceremony.
