EVERY Port Adelaide player on the field in Thursday night's AFL Sir Douglas Nicholls Indigenous Round opener will wear a tribute to one of the most significant referenda in Australian history. 

'1967' will appear across the chest of the Power's guernsey on Thursday, in recognition of the referendum that saw 90% of the Australian population the right to be recognised as part of the Australian population in the census.

The guernsey also features a boomerang motif, the uppermost featuring the Aboriginal flag. 

The nine hands on the body of the guernsey represent Krakouer, Chad Wingard, Karl Amon, Jarman Impey, Paddy Ryder, Jake Neade, Brendon Ah Chee, Sam Powell-Pepper and Aidyn Johnson.

The animal tracks represent the cultural totems of the players.

Krakouer said he wanted to design the guernsey to recognise the significant 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum and also tell the story of his fellow Aboriginal players at the club.

“I placed the year 1967 on the front of the guernsey, which is the year Australia had a referendum where 90% of the country voted for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to be included in the Australian population,” Krakouer said.

“I placed boomerangs in the guernsey, shorts and socks to represent our people hunting, fighting and protecting each other like we do at Port Adelaide.

“And the hand prints are in recognition of the traditional art Aboriginal people have made for thousands of years.

“They would put a mixture of ochre, water and animal fat into their mouths and blow it across their hands onto a surface. Unfortunately much of this tradition has been lost over the years and may not exist into the future, so I wanted to recognise this on our jumper.”

Port Adelaide plays Geelong at 7.20pm AEST at Simonds Stadium. 

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