Dreamtime at the 'G explained

Dreamtime at the 'G
First Contested:	9 July 2005
Teams Involved:
Total:	20
Series:	Richmond – 12 wins Essendon – 8 wins
Stadiums:	Melbourne Cricket Ground (2005–2019, 2022–present) Marrara Oval (2020) Perth Stadium (2021)
Mostrecent:	25 May 2024
Nextmeeting:	2025
Largestvictory:	– 71 points (2 June 2018)
Broadcasters:	Network Ten (2005–2011) Seven Network (2012–present)

The Dreamtime at the 'G is an annual Australian rules football match between Australian Football League clubs and .

Since the 2007 season the match has been held annually on the Saturday night of the AFL's "Indigenous Round", also known as the Sir Doug Nicholls Round. The name of the match comes from the Australian Aboriginal term "Dreamtime" and "the 'G", a nickname for the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) where the match usually takes place; it has been played away from the ground on two occasions, when the COVID-19 pandemic impacted football in Victoria.

The game draws one of the highest crowds of the home-and-away season, with an average crowd of over 70,000 since its inception (with the exception of rain-affected matches), and a record attendance of 85,656 in 2017. The winning club is awarded the "Kevin Sheedy Cup", and the best player on the ground is awarded the "Yiooken Award".

History

Dreamtime at the 'G was first held in 2005, with the aim being to recognise the contribution of all Indigenous players to the AFL.^[1] It was held during NAIDOC Week.^[2]

From 2006, the Yiooken Award has been awarded to the player judged best on ground in the match.^[3]

In 2007, following the success of the match in 2005 and 2006, the AFL nominated a specific Indigenous Round (round 9), which has become an annual event in which the Dreamtime at the 'G match takes centre stage. The success of the annual match, which now usually features crowds in excess of 80,000, led to the two clubs agreeing to cement the match's official status for an additional decade in May 2016.^[4]

From 2016, the Indigenous Round was named after Sir Doug Nicholls, the only AFL player to have been knighted and the only Aboriginal person or AFL player to serve as a state governor.^[5] Each year, each player in all 18 clubs wears a specially-commissioned artwork by an Indigenous artist on their guernsey.^[6] In 2019, former Essendon player Michael Long was honoured during this round.^[7]

In 2020, the match was played at Marrara Oval in Darwin, as it was not possible for the match to be played in Melbourne due to the city being locked down during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.^[8] In 2021, another COVID-19 lockdown in Victoria led to the AFL moving the fixture to Optus Stadium in Perth, which also held the Grand Final that year.^[9]

Notable matches

• Round 6, 2006, saw Richmond escape with a two-point victory over Essendon after Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls scored the match-winning behind with minutes remaining in the final quarter.
• Round 9, 2007: With just under five minutes remaining, Richmond had a 12-point lead, which was pulled back by Essendon to level the match at 84-apiece; the score was Richmond 12.12.(84) – Essendon 11.18.(84). Tigers full-forward Matthew Richardson thought he had kicked the match-winning goal, but a subsequent fifty-metre penalty was awarded after Richardson had pushed his opponent in the back prior to kicking the goal. Essendon kicked the last 1.2.(8) of the match to win the game by eight points and deny Richmond what would have been their first win of the 2007 season.
• Round 13, 2020, was notable due to the unique circumstances under which the game took place as a result of the stage four COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in Melbourne which prevented the match from being played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The match was played at Marrara Oval in Darwin, with Richmond winning by twelve points. Shai Bolton, who designed the guernsey the Richmond players wore in this match, won the Yiooken Medal for his best-on-ground performance.^[10]
• Similar to the year before, the Round 12, 2021, match saw a relocation of the match from Melbourne due to a COVID-19 lockdown, this time to Optus Stadium in Perth. Despite losing the match by 39 points, Essendon player Darcy Parish won the Yiooken Medal for his record-breaking performance of 44 disposals. It was the most disposals in one match ever recorded by an Essendon player.^[11]
• Round 10, 2023, was notable for several reasons. Going into the match, Essendon's form, which was strong for the first five games, had diminished, partly due to numerous injuries, and consequently they entered the game with a four-game losing streak despite showing valour in these games. Richmond, on the other hand, had come off two convincing wins in a row, including an upset win against Geelong, and were comfortable favourites. More tellingly, though, Richmond had won the last 13 games against Essendon, with Essendon's last win against them being in 2014.^[12] In a relatively low-scoring affair, the game was close all day, with Richmond leading by three goals in the final quarter. Essendon managed to claw back the lead back by a couple of goals to trail by just 5 points with a few minutes to go. In the final minutes, a tenacious tackle by Essendon's Zach Merrett (whose 39-disposal game coincidentally won the Yiooken Medal by a unanimous vote) brought down Richmond star Dustin Martin in Richmond's attacking half, an effort that commentator Jonathan Brown called "inspirational";^[13] the tackle was enough to compromise the accuracy of Martin's kick. With less than a minute remaining, Essendon were able to rebound the ball into their forward 50. A centralising snap kick in Essendon's left pocket was marked by Essendon forward Sam Durham at the top of the goal square. With just a handful of seconds to go, Durham composed himself and kicked the match-winning goal to put Essendon a point ahead and seal the game.

The Long Walk

The match is associated with the pre-game commemoration events organised by The Long Walk, a charity inspired by Indigenous former Essendon player Michael Long, who walked halfway from Melbourne to Canberra in 2004 to get the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people back on the national agenda. He halted his walk after then Prime Minister John Howard agreed to talk to him.^[14]

On the day of the Dreamtime match, The Long Walk holds a community celebration featuring entertainment and activities as well as community organisation information stalls. Prior to the Dreamtime match, Long and several thousand other participants walk from Federation Square to the Melbourne Cricket Ground to promote reconciliation. In 2013, over 15,000 participants walked to the MCG. The walk has grown in stature and size, and in 2016 was attended by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and the Leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten.^[15]

Curtain raisers

A curtain raiser match is sometimes held between two Indigenous football teams from around Australia and its territories.

width=50px	Year	width=50px	Match/Series Name	width=275px	Team	width=20px		width=275px	Team
2005^[16]		West Australian Clontarf Aboriginal Academy Western Australia	vs	Victorian Indigenous Victoria
2006	No curtain-raiser match, only entertainment and welcome ceremony
2007^[17]		Tiwi Bombers Tiwi Islands	vs	Rumbalara Shepparton, Central Victoria
2008^[18]		Santa Teresa (Ltyentye Apurte) Alice Springs, Northern Territory	vs	Fitzroy Stars Melbourne
2009^[19]		Imalu Tigers Tiwi Islands	vs	Brambuk Eels Western Victoria
2010^[20]	Rio Tinto Challenge Cup	Northern Northern Australia	vs	Southern Southern Australia	-	2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021 Curtain raiser matches to be added-->

Pre-match ceremony

Each year, the game is preceded by an extravagant indigenous-based music and entertainment show. Performers in 2008, for example, included Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody.

Match results

|- style=";background:#ccf"| | Year| Date| | Home Team| | Away Team| | Ground| Crowd| Winner|||| Yiooken Award Winner | Report|- style="background:#fff;"| 1| style="text-align: center;"|2005| 9/7| 15|style="background:#ccffcc;"|Richmond|style="background:#ccffcc;"|14.8 (92)| Essendon| 9.12 (66)| Melbourne Cricket Ground| 49,975|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!26!W|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| Not awarded| –|- style="background:#fff;"| 2| style="text-align: center;"|2006| 6/5| 6| Essendon| 13.17 (95)|style="background:#ccffcc;"|Richmond|style="background:#ccffcc;"|13.19 (97)| Melbourne Cricket Ground| 58,439|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!2!L|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| Dean Polo | ^[21] |- style="background:#fff;"| 3| style="text-align: center;"|2007|26/5|9| Richmond| 12.12 (84)|style="background:#ccffcc;"|Essendon|style="background:#ccffcc;"|12.20 (92)| Melbourne Cricket Ground| 61,837|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!8!L|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| James Hird | ^[22] |- style="background:#fff;"| 4| style="text-align: center;"|2008|24/5|9|Essendon|10.12 (72)|style="background:#ccffcc;"| Richmond|style="background:#ccffcc;"| 16.14 (110)|Melbourne Cricket Ground|60,333|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!38!L|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| Nathan Foley | ^[23] |- style="background:#fff;"| 5| style="text-align: center;"|2009|23/5|9|Richmond|12.13 (85)|style="background:#ccffcc;"|Essendon|style="background:#ccffcc;"|19.11 (125)|Melbourne Cricket Ground|73,625|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!40!L|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| Jason Winderlich | ^[24] |- style="background:#fff;"| 6| style="text-align: center;"|2010|23/5|9|style="background:#ccffcc;"|Essendon|style="background:#ccffcc;"|19.16 (130)|Richmond|14.11 (95)|Melbourne Cricket Ground|64,709|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!35!W|div style="text-align: center;"|0| David Hille | ^[25] |- style="background:#fff;"| 7| style="text-align: center;"|2011| 21/5| 9|style="background:#ccffcc;"|Richmond|style="background:#ccffcc;"|16.9 (105)| Essendon| 13.11 (89)| Melbourne Cricket Ground| 83,563|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!16!W|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| Trent Cotchin | ^[26] |- style="background:#fff;"| 8| style="text-align: center;"|2012|19/5|8|style="background:#ccffcc;"|Essendon|style="background:#ccffcc;"|19.14 (128)|Richmond|15.19 (109)|Melbourne Cricket Ground|80,900|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!19!W|div style="text-align: center;"|0| Brett Deledio | ^[27] |- style="background:#fff;"| 9| style="text-align: center;"|2013|25/5|9|Richmond|9.8 (62)|style="background:#ccffcc;"|Essendon|style="background:#ccffcc;"|13.13 (91)|Melbourne Cricket Ground|84,234|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!29!L|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| Jobe Watson | ^[28] |- style="background:#fff;"| 10| style="text-align: center;"|2014|31/5|11|style="background:#ccffcc;"|Essendon|style="background:#ccffcc;"|15.14 (104)|Richmond|7.12 (54)|Melbourne Cricket Ground|74,664|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!50!W|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| Brendon Goddard | ^[29] |- style="background:#fff;"| 11| style="text-align: center;"|2015|30/5|9|style="background:#ccffcc;"|Richmond|style="background:#ccffcc;"|10.12 (72)|Essendon|8.11 (59)|Melbourne Cricket Ground|83,804|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!13!W|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| Brandon Ellis | ^[30] |- style="background:#fff;"| 12| style="text-align: center;"|2016|28/5|10|Essendon|10.7 (67)|style="background:#ccffcc;"| Richmond|style="background:#ccffcc;"| 16.9 (105)|Melbourne Cricket Ground|56,948|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!38!L|div style="text-align: center;"|0| Dustin Martin | ^[31] |- style="background:#fff;"| 13| style="text-align: center;"|2017|27/5|10|style="background:#ccffcc;"|Richmond|style="background:#ccffcc;"|11.15 (81)|Essendon|10.6 (66)|Melbourne Cricket Ground|85,656|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!15!W|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| Dustin Martin (2)| ^[32] |- style="background:#fff;"| 14| style="text-align: center;"|2018|2/6|11|Essendon|6.7 (43)|style="background:#ccffcc;"| Richmond|style="background:#ccffcc;"| 17.12 (114)|Melbourne Cricket Ground|81,046|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!71!L|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| Shane Edwards | ^[33] |- style="background:#fff;"| 15| style="text-align: center;"|2019|25/5|10|style="background:#ccffcc;"|Richmond|style="background:#ccffcc;"|10.13 (73)|Essendon|6.14 (50)|Melbourne Cricket Ground|80,176|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!23!W|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| Bachar Houli | ^[34] |- style="background:#fff;"| 16| style="text-align: center;"|2020|22/8|13|Essendon|10.1 (61)|style="background:#ccffcc;"| Richmond|style="background:#ccffcc;"| 10.13 (73)|Marrara Oval|5,401|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!12!L|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| Shai Bolton | ^[10] |- style="background:#fff;"| 17| style="text-align: center;"|2021|5/6|12|Essendon|12.12 (84)|style="background:#ccffcc;"| Richmond|style="background:#ccffcc;"| 19.9 (123)|Perth Stadium|55,656|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!39!L|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| Darcy Parish | ^[35] |- style="background:#fff;"| 18| style="text-align: center;"|2022|21/5|10|style="background:#ccffcc;"|Richmond|style="background:#ccffcc;"|11.14 (80)|Essendon|7.6 (48)|Melbourne Cricket Ground|70,226|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!32!W|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| Dion Prestia | ^[36] |- style="background:#fff;"| 19| style="text-align: center;"|2023|20/5|10|style="background:#ccffcc;"|Essendon|style="background:#ccffcc;"|10.11 (71)|Richmond|10.10 (70)|Melbourne Cricket Ground|79,300 |bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|!1!W|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| Zach Merrett | ^[37] |- style="background:#fff;"| 20| style="text-align: center;"|2024| 25/5| 11| Richmond| 10.14 (74)|style="background:#ccffcc;"|Essendon|style="background:#ccffcc;"|12.14 (86)|Melbourne Cricket Ground| 79,359|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|! 12! W|bgcolor="Black" div style="text-align: center;"|| Jordan Ridley |^[38]

Summary results

Club	Winning years	Total wins	Yiooken Awards	Total awards
	2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2023, 2024	align=center	8	2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2021, 2023, 2024	align=center	8
	2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022	12	2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022	align=center	11

Kevin Sheedy Cup

In 2005, Richmond and Essendon first competed for the Kevin Sheedy Cup.^[39] The cup has continued to be awarded to the winner of each Dreamtime at the 'G game.

Sheedy has a strong connection with both Essendon and Richmond, having played 251 games for Richmond, including their 1969, 1973 and 1974 premiership teams. He won the 1976 best & fairest award, captained the club in 1978, was named on their Team of the Century at left back-pocket and inducted into the Richmond Hall of Fame in 2002. He retired in 1979. He then went on to coach Essendon from 1981 to 2007, amassing 635 games as coach and led the club to premierships in 1984, 1985, 1993 & 2000. He was named as coach of the Essendon Team of the Century. He was a selector for the Indigenous Team of the Century and has championed indigenous football, reconciliation, and education.^[40]

See also

• Indigenous Team of the Century
• Indigenous All-Stars (Australian rules football)
• List of individual match awards in the Australian Football League

Notes and References

1. Web site: Tigers, Bombers conjure 'Dreamtime at the 'G'. Karen Lyon. The Age. Melbourne. 6 July 2005.
2. Football Dream. 2005. AFL Record. 12–13. Sean . Callander. Round 15.
3. Web site: Dreamtime at the G – 2006. 10 May 2007. Essendon Football Club. 18 August 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20070514123907/http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/news.asp?nid=4677. 14 May 2007. dead.
4. Web site: Tigers, Dons lock in Dreamtime at the 'G. 26 May 2016. Richmond FC.
5. News: The Guardian. AFL to honour Sir Doug Nicholls in 2016 Indigenous round. 28 October 2016. 30 May 2019.
6. News: AFL Indigenous guernseys revealed, and the stories behind them. The Age. Charlotte. Grieve. 22 May 2019. 30 May 2019.
7. Web site: 2019 Toyota AFL Sir Doug Nicholls Round to honour Michael Long. 14 March 2019. AFL Northern Territory. 30 May 2019.
8. Web site: The Dreamtime NOT at the 'G: Sir Doug Nicholls headline act gets new stage. AFL.com.au. Damian. Barrett. 31 July 2020. 31 July 2020.
9. Web site: Dreamtime in Perth: More fixture shuffles coming for R12. AFL.com.au. Damian. Barrett. 30 May 2021. 1 June 2021.
10. Web site: Wayward Tigers hold on in the heat of Dreamtime in Darwin. Australian Football League. Callum. Twomey. 22 August 2020. 22 August 2020.
11. Web site: Tigers complete 100-year first with scary surge. 2021-06-06. wwos.nine.com.au. 5 June 2021 . en.
12. Web site: Head to Head Between Essendon and Richmond - FinalSiren.com . 2023-05-21 . finalsiren.com.
13. Web site: 2023-05-20 . Radical Dons tactic pays off in 'turning point' for Bombers; 'inspirational' moment elevates skipper's standing: 3-2-1 . 2023-05-21 . Fox Sports . en.
14. http://www.thelongwalk.com.au/ The Long Walk
15. Web site: The Long Walk: Malcolm Turnbull, Bill Shorten take steps towards Aboriginal reconciliation. ABC News. 28 May 2016.
16. Web site: Dreamtime at the G. 5 July 2005. Essendon Football Club. Melbourne. https://web.archive.org/web/20070514123907/http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/news.asp?nid=4327. 14 May 2007. dead.
17. Web site: 2007 Dreamtime at the G. 23 May 2007. https://web.archive.org/web/20120929223756/http://www.afl.com.au/Season2007/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=43810. dead. 29 September 2012. AFL Bigpond Network. Melbourne.
18. Web site: Indigenous curtain-raiser at Dreamtime at the 'G. 21 May 2008. Essendon Football Club. Melbourne. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080927172114/http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/news.asp?nid=5792. 27 September 2008.
19. Web site: Ryder says Dreamtime will be something special. 20 May 2009. Essendon Football Club. Melbourne. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090918171024/http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/news.asp?nid=6622. 18 September 2009.
20. Web site: Dreamtime clash inspires Bombers. 21 May 2010. Essendon Football Club. Melbourne. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100526030503/http://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/news.asp?nid=7479. 26 May 2010.
21. Web site: Polo recognised for starring debut. 9 May 2006. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 18 August 2009.
22. Web site: Dreamtime delight for the Bombers. 26 May 2007. Essendon Football Club. Melbourne. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20070918180717/https://www.essendonfc.com.au/news/news.asp?nid=5163. 18 September 2007.
23. Web site: Bombers fall to Tigers. Matt. Burgan. 24 May 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20120929223259/http://www.afl.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=60184. dead. 29 September 2012. AFL BigPond Network.
24. Web site: Dons down Tigers by 40. Jennifer. Witham. 23 May 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20120929223306/http://www.afl.com.au/News/NewsArticle/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsId=77449. dead. 29 September 2012. AFL BigPond Network.
25. Web site: Dons in dreamland after easy win . Matt . Burgan . 22 May 2010 . AFL BigPond Network . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100524011812/http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/94821/default.aspx . 24 May 2010 .
26. Web site: Young Tigers beat Bombers on big stage. Raman. Goraya. 21 May 2011. ABC.
27. Web site: Essendon recovers to fight off Richmond . 19 May 2012 . The Examiner .
28. Web site: Match report. Andrew. Gigacz. 25 May 2013. AustralianFootball.com.
29. Web site: Match report. Andrew. Gigacz. 31 May 2014. AustralianFootball.com.
30. News: Dustin Fletcher's 400th AFL match ends with Richmond Tigers beating Essendon Bombers by 13 points. ABC News . 30 May 2015 . 2 June 2015.
31. Web site: Match report: Tigers make it three straight with win over Dons. 28 May 2016 . 28 May 2016.
32. News: Ryan. Peter. Match report: Tigers' Dreamtime redemption. https://web.archive.org/web/20170327032400/http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2017/10/rich-v-ess. dead. 27 March 2017. 23 August 2017. AFL Media. Telstra Media. 27 May 2017.
33. Web site: Collins. Ben. Match report: Tigers give Dons Dreamtime nightmare. https://web.archive.org/web/20171226144858/http://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2018/11/ess-v-rich. dead. 26 December 2017. 2 June 2018.
34. Web site: Match report: Tigers give Dons Dreamtime nightmare. https://web.archive.org/web/20190321055259/https://www.afl.com.au/match-centre/2019/10/rich-v-ess. dead. 21 March 2019. 25 May 2019.
35. Web site: Schmook. Nathan. Tigers triumph again as Dreamtime turns to a nightmare for Dons. 5 June 2021.
36. Web site: Gabelich. Josh. Tigers take care of fired-up Bombers in Dreamtime dismantling. 21 May 2022.
37. Web site: Black. Sarah. Dreamtime drought breaker! Dons down Tigers at last. 20 May 2023.
38. Web site: Bombers hang on to edge past tenacious Tigers. AFL. 25 May 2024. Sarah. Black.
39. News: Dons, Tigers join in 'dream' game. Caroline. Wilson. Stephen. Rielly. 3 March 2006. The Age.
40. News: Sheedy still promoting Indigenous football talent. Murray. McLaughlin. 12 February 2007. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.