Saturday 21st May 2011, 7.45pm
Richmond v Essendon, MCG
The Dreamtime at the 'G match between Richmond and Essendon Football Clubs will be played this Saturday night, May 21, at the MCG.
The annual match is the highlight of Indigenous Round and is a celebration of Indigenous culture.
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said Dreamtime at the 'G is an important part of the Tigers’ fixture.
“We are privileged to be involved in this game, which has become one of the showpiece matches in the AFL calendar.
“It is important we recognise the contribution which Indigenous players have made to our great game, and the work the AFL and its clubs are doing to embrace reconciliation and Close the Gap,” Hardwick said.
Essendon coach James Hird said he was looking forward to coaching his first Dreamtime match.
“Our club has significant ties to Indigenous communities across Australia and we are proud that the Essendon Football Club recognises Indigenous talent.
“The Dreamtime at the ‘G clash between Essendon and Richmond is always a wonderful night for the two clubs,” Hird said.
Activities will commence at 4pm with the curtain-raiser match featuring participants from the Footy Means Business program. The curtain raiser will be broadcast on Southern Cross Television to remote areas (Central and Darwin markets) from 5.30pm AEST (90 minute delay). National Indigenous Television will replay the match on Sunday 29 May from 3.30pm AEST.
Light installations will project images of Indigenous art and Indigenous footballers onto the outside of the MCG.
The AFL has allocated 5000 general admission tickets for the game to the community, including local Indigenous community organisations and schools.
The Long Walk activities commence at Federation Square from 4pm, with the walk to the MCG via Birrarung Marr to begin at 5.50pm. Six hundred walkers will make their way onto the MCG surface as part of the pre-match entertainment.
Pre-match entertainment will commence at 7pm and will include a traditional warrior dance, ‘Warrior for Life’ performed by Yung Warriors featuring Deline Briscoe, and Coloured Stone will perform ‘Black Boy’.
Prior to the match, Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy Murphy-Wandin will conduct a ‘Welcome to Country’ ceremony to welcome the clubs and spectators to the traditional lands of the local Indigenous community.
In memory of Maurice Rioli who passed away last December, his brothers John and Cyril Rioli II will toss the coin.
At halftime the NAB AFL Auskick participants will involve children from five Victorian Koori Kids Auskick Centres; Fitzroy Stars FC, Rumbalara FC, Nowa Nowa Primary School, Bairnsdale West Primary School and Robinvale. Eight female Indigenous girls from Worawa Aboriginal College in Healesville will umpire the grid games.
The centre grid match includes players from the Parnngurr Community – a remote community in Western Australia.
At the conclusion of the game, the player judged best on ground will be presented with the Yiooken award. Pronounced yie-yoo-ken, it is a word from the Woiwurrung language of the Wurundjeri people which means ‘dreaming’. Previous winners of the award are: 2006 Dean Polo, 2007 James Hird, 2008 Nathan Foley, 2009 Jason Winderlich, 2010 David Hille.
Network Ten is again supporting Dreamtime at the G and will broadcast the pre-match activities.
Dreamtime at the 'G Running Sheet
3.45pm MCG gates open
4.00pm Curtain-raiser match commences
4.00pm Long Walk activities commence at Federation Square
5.50pm Long Walk leaves Federation Square for the MCG
6.20pm Walkers arrive at MCG
7.00pm Pre-match entertainment commences (17 mins)
7.04pm 600 walkers enter the MCG as part of pre-match entertainment
7.35pm Welcome to Country Ceremony performed by Aunty Joy Murphy-Wandin
7.40pm Match commences
8.50pm (appx) Half Time
10.15pm (appx) Match concludes. Presentation of the Yiooken award
The Long Walk
Activities start at Fed Square at 1.00pm
............ some BS about the weather 
