HAWTHORN will take on Brisbane Lions at the Gabba Round 10, 2016 as part of the AFL's revamped Indigenous Round named in honour of Aboriginal icon Sir Doug Nicholls.



The game is scheduled for Saturday 28 May, kicking off at 1.45pm (local time).



This will be the first time since 2008 the Hawks have played at the Gabba, when a young up and coming Hawthorn side beat the hardened veterans of Brisbane Lions by 12 points in Round 5.



The AFL Commission approved the recommendation after the AFL's Indigenous Advisory Council discussed the proposal.



Occurring in round 10, 2016, the inaugural Sir Doug Nicholls Round will be played across the weekend of May 25-27.



The annual Dreamtime at the 'G match between Essendon and Richmond remains the highlight of the round, which also includes games between Melbourne and Port Adelaide in Alice Springs, the Brisbane Lions and Hawthorn in Brisbane and the Sydney Swans and North Melbourne in Sydney.



Sir Doug Nicholls played 54 games with Fitzroy and was a brilliant all-round athlete who later became the Governor of South Australia after a life devoted to the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.



AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan described Sir Doug's contribution to society as one of football's most interesting stories.



"He represented both the values of our game and epitomised the spirit of reconciliation," McLachlan said.



"He was the first Indigenous player to represent Victoria at state level, while playing for Fitzroy, and during his life he was an elite runner, boxer, Churches of Christ pastor, Justice of the Peace, was awarded both the MBE (1957) and the OBE (1968) before being knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1972, and served as Governor of South Australia.



"He was a pioneering campaigner for reconciliation but his love for and commitment to Australian football was the glue that brought together all the other facets of his life."



Sir Doug Nicholls is the only VFL/AFL player to have been knighted and to have served as a state governor.



The respected national figure was born at the Cummeragunja Aboriginal Mission in NSW in 1906, but moved to Victoria and played in the VFA with Northcote where he was part of the club's 1929 premiership.



He then joined Fitzroy in 1932 and played 54 games for the club between 1932 and 1937 and also played two games for Victoria.



The full schedule for the round will be (local times):



Friday, May 27

Sydney Swans v North Melbourne at the SCG, 7.50pm



Saturday, May 28

Brisbane Lions v Hawthorn at the Gabba, 1.45pm

Melbourne v Port Adelaide at TIO Traeger Park, 1.40pm

St Kilda v Fremantle at Etihad Stadium, 4.35pm

Adelaide v Greater Western Sydney at Adelaide Oval, 7.10pm

Essendon v Richmond at the MCG, 7.25pm



Sunday, May 29

Carlton v Geelong at Etihad Stadium, 1.10pm

West Coast v Gold Coast at Domain Stadium, 2.40pm

Collingwood v Western Bulldogs at the MCG, 3.20pm





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