The Port Adelaide Football Club will be known as the Yartapuulti Football Club across the next two weeks, to recognise and celebrate First Nations culture throughout AFLW Indigenous Round. 

AFLW Indigenous Round spans across Rounds 7 and 8 of the 2023 NAB AFLW season, with Alberton Oval set to host a home game in Round 8.  

The announcement was originally made in May, with the Yartapuulti name to apply to all future games played during AFLW Indigenous Round, AFL Sir Doug Nicholls Round and SANFL First Nations Round. 

The decision to rename the Port Adelaide Football Club for these significant occasions further elevates First Nations culture and language onto the national stage to educate, generate awareness and encourage productive and meaningful conversations.  

The change was developed through extensive consultation with the Kaurna Language Committee, Kaurna Senior and past player Uncle Mickey Kumatpi Murrutya O’Brien, and Aboriginal Programs Manager and AFLW Player Development Coach Braedon Talbot, who has also played an important role educating the staff and playing groups on the significance, reason and meaning behind the name Yartapuulti.  

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Introducing the Yartapuulti Football Club | PTV

The Port Adelaide Football Club is proud to announce it will be known as the Yartapuulti Football Club for all future games played during Sir Doug Nicholls Round and AFLW Indigenous Round.

Kaurna Senior, Uncle Mickey Kumatpi Murrutya O’Brien explained the meaning behind the name and its tie to the location of Port Adelaide’s homebase.  

“In Kaurna, ‘Yarta’ means place or land and ‘Puulti’ means sleep or death, which is the name the Kaurna people gave the land around the Port River,” he explained.   

“As a Kaurna person that was born here on this Peninsula, I am thankful and grateful to Port Adelaide, not only for the opportunity they gave me as a player at this wonderful club but also this opportunity to share my culture and this connection to this place being Yartapuulti – the place of sleep”.  

The club will showcase its special Yartapuulti Football Club logo across the website and AFLW channels, which was carefully crafted by Brooke Rigney-Lively (Kaurna, Ngarrindjeri artist) in collaboration with Ochre Dawn, a 100 per cent First Nations owned and managed creative agency, dedicated to celebrating art, culture and heritage in commercial projects.   

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Introducing our 2023 AFLW First Nations guernsey | PTV

Yartapuulti has unveiled its second First Nations guernsey to be worn throughout the NAB AFLW Indigenous Round.

Port Adelaide’s decision followed both Melbourne (Narrm) and Fremantle (Walyalup) Football Clubs who have previously renamed their clubs.  

Yartapuulti also launched its First Nations guernsey last week, which was a collaboration between forward Gemma Houghton and artis Tjunkaya Ken. 

To read more about the name change and logo, click here.