Round 9 is Indigenous Round in the AFL and on Sunday the Port Adelaide Football Club, along with partner BHP Billiton, will celebrate the Dreamtime.

The Port Adelaide Football Club has a proud tradition of recruiting indigenous players. Since joining the AFL competition, 13 indigenous players have played for the Power, all of them very proud of their heritage. This weekend the Power is honoured to celebrate that heritage.

Shaun and Peter Burgoyne, Daniel Motlop, Danyle Pearce and Nathan Krakouer have become crowd favourites at Alberton. Players like Gavin Wanganeen, Byron Pickett, Shane Bond, Fabian Francis and Che Cockatoo-Collins have all paved the way for Port Adelaide’s current indigenous stars.

As part of its community partnerships program, BHP Billiton are proud partners of the Power Community Youth Program, and sponsors of Indigenous Round.

To celebrate Indigenous Round, BHP Billiton will host students of the Graham (Polly) Farmer Foundation. Based on the successful program in West Australia, the Polly Farmer Foundation of Port Augusta assists high achieving Aboriginal students reach their education goals. As a major partner of the program, BHP Billiton will host the students at the game to celebrate their achievement.

In celebrating Dreamtime on Sunday the Port Adelaide Football Club has also invited Aunty Josie Agius, an elder of the Kaurna People. The Kaurna people come from the Adelaide Plains of South Australia and Aunty Josie will offer a welcome to country. Power players will also break through a Dreamtime themed banner.

At Planet Teal Zone (kids’ zone), outside Gate 4 at AAMI Stadium, mums, dads and kids will be able to see and interact with Aboriginal singing and dancing from the Kaurna School and Warriapiendi Band.

In what has become an annual tradition at Port Adelaide games and in line with Dreamtime Round, the curtain raiser for the Power v Cats match will be played between Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands and Maralinga Tjarutja (MT) Lands.

Significantly, Sunday also marks the 40th anniversary of Australia’s most successful referendum and a defining event in our nation’s history. The 1967 referendum saw more than 90% of eligible Australians vote YES, to count Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in the national census to give the Commonwealth Government power to make specific laws in respect of indigenous people.

The anniversary provides a rare and significant opportunity to further encourage the Australian community’s interest in reconciliation. The Port Adelaide Football Club acknowledges the importance of this occasion and continues to provide career and personal development opportunities for young indigenous people. The Power also looks forward to continuing its rich tradition with indigenous players.

Below is a timeline for the Indigenous Round:

Car parks open – 1.15pm
AAMI Stadium gates open – 1.45pm
Planet Teal Zone opens – 2.00pm
Curtain raiser, Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands & Maralinga Tjarutja (MT) Lands – 2.00pm
Port Adelaide on-ground activities begin – 3.35pm
Welcome to country, Aunty Josie Agius – 3.50pm
Port Adelaide v Geelong begins – 4.10pm

Tickets for the twilight Round 9 clash on Sunday 27th May between Port Adelaide and Geelong, who sit second and third respectively on the AFL ladder, are now on sale through BASS Dial ‘n Charge 13 12 46, BASS outlets and online at www.bass.sa.com.au. BASS prices start from: Adults - $20.25, Concession - $12.75, Child - $2.75, Family - $42.75.

The Port Adelaide Football Club looks forward to seeing its supporters at AAMI Stadium to celebrate Indigenous Round and to support the team in its huge clash against the Cats.