The Fremantle Dockers are proud to announce it will be known as the Walyalup Football Club for future games played during Sir Doug Nicholls and AFLW Indigenous Rounds.
The renaming has been in the works for the past two years and follows in the footsteps of Melbourne, who played as the Narrm Football Club in 2022.
It comes after significant work from the Club’s RAP Working and Advisory Groups and is highlighted by a stunning logo designed by Life Member and NGA Coach Roger Hayden.
The logo will be most prominent on the coaches’ polos and will also feature in the bottom left corner of the 2023 Indigenous Jumper to be designed by Alex Pearce.
Fremantle played Narrm in Sir Doug Nicholls Round last season and fittingly, Walyalup will face Narrm this year once again in Sir Doug Nicholls Round on Saturday 27 May at the MCG.
It will be the first time two Clubs with Indigenous naming play each other in the AFL.
Walyalup will also play Geelong at Optus Stadium in round 10 as a part of the two week Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
CEO Simon Garlick proudly announced the Walyalup naming at Wednesday’s Season Launch.
“I am really proud to stand up here today and announce that an idea first raised at board level two years ago will finally come to fruition this year in Sir Doug Nicholls Round when our football Club will be referred to as the Walyalup Football Club,” Garlick said.
“Walyalup is the Noongar country in and around Fremantle, and similar to the lead of Melbourne Football Club renaming to Narrm last season, we will be referred to as Walyalup in 2023... and fittingly we will face Narrm at the MCG on 27 May to kick off National Reconciliation Week.
“The Walyalup logo has been designed by past player and our current NGA Coach Roger Hayden, and tells of the Walyalup Creation Story.
“It will take over all of our channels in those weeks and our coaches will proudly wear the Walyalup Polos for these games.
“I want to thank Roger for his work creating the logo as well as a special thank you to our RAP External Advisory Group who have provided valuable guidance along the way.”
Hayden spoke of the pride he feels to be a part of the creation of the Walyalup Football Club.
“I’m really proud of Fremantle’s history, we’ve always had a strong culture of representing Indigenous players and who we are as a Club and I think this continues with what we’re doing now to rebrand as the Walyalup Football Club,” Hayden said.
“It’s about sharing our culture to the wider community, it’s fantastic and I’m really looking forward to seeing this unfold throughout the year and how it goes in the future.”
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