An important journey will begin on Sunday when Fremantle take on Collingwood for Sir Doug Nicholls Round at Optus Stadium.

At the centre bounce, Fremantle stand-in captain and Tommeginne man Alex Pearce will hand Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury a message stick that features artwork by Tammy Hayden, the sister of Indigenous and Multicultural Liaison Officer Roger Hayden.

Hayden said the stick represents the journeys of Indigenous Australians around the country and the stick itself will travel all around the AFL, with Collingwood set to hand the stick to Carlton in their next Sir Doug Nicholls Round fixture.

From the end of the stick travelling inwards, the designs feature symbols for communities and waterholes, land and country, biddies (tracks) and people.

“The designs on both ends of the message stick represents our ancestors travelling over the country, calling out the names of places as they journey across the vast lands of Noongar country,” Roger Hayden said.

“After the handover, Collingwood will look to add a design within the space through the message stick that captures Collingwood’s Indigenous Culture and the Warundjeri People.

“Collingwood will then pass on to Carlton the following week who will look to add a design that captures Carlton’s Indigenous Culture and the Warundjeri People and so on.”

Fremantle will hand a similar message stick to Narrm (Melbourne) in round 11 and when there is no space left on the sticks, they will be presented to the AFL.

Hayden played 128 games between 2001 and 2011, coached at Fremantle for nine seasons between 2012 and 2020 and was named a Life Member in 2020.