Sherrin Sir Doug Nicholls Round Soft Touch Size 3

To celebrate the Sir Doug Nicholls Rounds in season 2024, Sherrin is proud to feature 'Koethuka Kakur' on this year’s footballs. Koethuka Kakur (pronounced koi - thika kakurrr with a rolling r) is the name for 'ball' in Kalaw Kawaw Ya dialect which is used in the top Western Torres Strait islands of Dauan, Sabai and Seisia communities.  

Designed by Ben Nabea Davis - a proud Torres Strait Islander artist from Saibai and Waiben Island, the design of the Sir Doug Nicholls Round ball tells the story of connection through our game. Connection that reaches through time and out to all walks of life. It speaks about the indigenous men and women of our game before us who helped build it to where it is, and how through their struggles they have now given us a platform to stand on. It also represents how our generation will one day pass on leadership to our future generation.

The SDNR Replica Soft Touch Ball is perfect to help build confidence with handling, kicking and marking. Made from padded PVC material, giving it the softest of feels, this ball is ideal for indoor play and perfect for the fan who wants to celebrate this occasion in the AFL calendar.

Features & Specs:

• Size 3 
• Padded PVC Material
• Recreational quality

Ben Nabea Davis Design Notes

MARNGROOK PATTERN

The white spiral pattern that looks like a circle represents the ball used for marngrook. It pays homage to the indigenous people that played this game many years ago. The skills our ancestors developed over so many years are now put on display for the world to see

GENERATIONS

This symbolizes the connection each generation has to each other.
The pattern used to represent each generation is a coconut leave woven together. This is commonly used on the islands for baskets and many other things. I believe this to be a perfect symbol as the first leave is connected to the last much like our ancestors are connected to us today.

The dark blue pattern on the far right are our elders and ancestors. The serrated patterns to the left of them represent the hardship and struggles they went through to build the world indigenous people live in today. The lighter pattern to the left of the second serrated pattern represents our generation today. It shows how we can live the life we have today because of the hardships endured by our ancestors and elders.

Finally, the lightest pattern on the far left is our future generations who will one day lead our indigenous people with knowledge past on through time

DHOERI/DHARI

The Dhoeri (kala lagaw ya language) or dhari (meriam mir language) both translate to headdress and was worn in ancient times by warriors during battle and  ceremonial dance. These days it is worn for ceremonial dancing, the dhoeri can vary from island to island. I placed these on the ball as they are an integral part of Torres Strait Island culture.

I believe it also shows how through time our game has connected people from all walks of life.

WARRUP (DRUM)

The warrup (drum) is a key part of Torres Strait Island culture as it provides the rhythm for our dancers to perform and tell our stories. To me when I think of the sound the drum makes, I think of the heartbeat of our islands. I think of community together celebrating the dancers performing. Much like how we come together to cheer and celebrate our teams each week.