CARLTON will celebrate Sir Doug Nicholls Round on Friday, hosting the first game of the round for the first time when it takes on Sydney at Marvel Stadium.

Part of the Blues’ celebration will be a pre-game show, featuring Indigenous and First Nations performers, including bands, dancers and a ‘Welcome to Country’ ceremony. 

The players will run out at 7:10pm, following a 10-minute warm-up before the pre-match entertainment begins. 

At 7:20pm, Marlon x RULLA will perform, who are a dynamic First Nations duo backed by an all-First Nations band. 

Known to give an extremely lively and energetic live show, Marlon x RULLA have performed on some of the nation's biggest stages, opening for Midnight Oil at WOMADelaide, rocking Bass in the Grass in Darwin, Party in the Apocalypse in Tasmania and wowing 30,000 fans at the AFL’s 2021 Sir Doug Nicholls Round.

Co-frontman of the duo, Marlon Motlop, is the uncle of Carlton youngster Jesse Motlop, who debuted for the Blues last weekend and assisted with the AFL's Sir Doug Nicholls Round launch at the MCG on Monday. 

Performing alongside Marlon x RULLA will be the Djirri Djirri dancers, who are the only Wurundjeri female dance group, and also Traditional Custodians of Naarm (Melbourne). 

At 7:45pm, Mandy Nicholson – the founder, singer, and songwriter of Djirri Djirri - will be conducting a ‘Welcome to Country’ ceremony along with the Djirri Djirri dance group and Kiernan Ironfield on the yidaki, welcoming visitors of Marvel Stadium onto Naarm land. 

All that’s left is the first bounce, which will be at 7:50pm, leaving Carlton and Sydney to officially kick off Sir Doug Nicholls Round. 

Carlton will be wearing its Indigenous guernsey designed by Indigenous artist Shanai Kellett.