The AFL has announced Australian artists John Butler, Ziggy Ramo, Sycco and Budjerah will perform at the Dreamtime in Perth blockbuster between Essendon and Richmond at Optus Stadium on Saturday night.
The artists will form part of the official pre-game celebration, which includes a Welcome to Country performed by a traditional owner from the Whadjuk of the Noongar nation people as well as a dance conducted by representatives from both clubs.
AFL executive general manager of customer and commercial Kylie Rogers said the pre-game entertainment would be a great celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
“Sir Doug Nicholls Round will once again acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to our game, and we are so pleased to have a mix of Australian and Indigenous artists performing together,” Rogers said.
“To have up and coming Indigenous artists like Sycco, Budjerah as well as Ziggy Ramo performing is a real celebration of Aboriginal cultures across one of the biggest nights of the football season.”
Butler reflected on his connection to the match.
“Living in Pinjarra as a teenager helped introduce me to and help illuminate the injustices Indigenous people face and ignited my passion to speak out about it. But more importantly my time on Pinjarreb Boodja gave me deep and strong respect for Indigenous culture and community," Butler said.
“The Dreamtime match is a great celebration of how far the game has come and I’m looking forward to performing alongside some incredible Indigenous artists Sycco, Budjerah and Ziggy Ramo who are all so talented. It is great to be back on stage and I’m really looking forward to performing in front of the fans."
Helping bring the night together is Coles, which is supporting the pre-game entertainment and is an official partner of the Bombers.
"We are so proud to be supporting this year’s Dreamtime in Perth pre-game entertainment," Coles chief marketing officer Lisa Ronson said.
"Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan outlines our commitment to engage with Indigenous peoples, communities and organisations, so we are pleased to partner with the AFL to support these talented musicians and performers.
Paving the way for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women on and off the field.
— Essendon FC (@essendonfc) June 4, 2021
Together with @Coles, we’re delighted to launch the First Nations Women’s Pathway Program. pic.twitter.com/md1K157eLZ
"Coles has a proud history of taking action and forming strong relationships with the Indigenous community, and that commitment extends to ensuring that we continue to grow our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander team member representation across stores and in trade and management roles, and support Indigenous suppliers."
The Dreamtime in Perth pre-game celebration will kick off at 5pm, with the match commencing at 5.40pm (AWST).
The Dreamtime game will be broadcast live on the Seven Network and Fox Footy nationally, while also streamed live via Kayo.
