Dreamtime celebration

Lucas and Lawson Design Essendon’s Dreamtime Guernsey

We are proud to celebrate the incredible achievement of two of our students, Lucas Waddleton (of Tyerrernotepanner, Northern Tasmania) and Lawson Richards, who have made their mark on the AFL stage as the winning designers of Essendon Football Club’s 2025 Dreamtime Guernsey.

Their artwork was chosen from entries across the Brimbank and Melton areas, as part of a workshop run by Jenaya Serra from the Long Walk Foundation last year, which helped First Nations students explore the significance of Dreamtime. 

The design represents the unity of indigenous and non-indigenous people coming together, just like the two of them, and symbolising the unity of all people, animals and the land in accepting each other and celebrating their differences.  

The finished guernsey will be worn by Essendon players in this year’s Dreamtime at the ‘G match — one of the most significant events on the AFL calendar, celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and contributions to the game in the Sir Doug Nicholls Round. 

As part of their journey, Lucas and Lawson were invited to take part in a professional photo shoot with Essendon players Jade Gresham and Nic Martin on the school holidays, where they were able to see the guernsey and merchandise for the first time. 

On Tuesday the 6th May, we were honoured to welcome Alwyn Davey Jr, Zak Johnson, and members of The Long Walk Foundation, to formally present the guernsey at a special school assembly involving students from the AFL Academy and 9I, and to celebrate the boys’ achievement.

Lucas and Lawson also attended a Whole Club Celebration at Essendon Football Club, where they had the opportunity to meet and speak with players, officials, and the CEO about the cultural significance and design process behind the guernsey. Despite some nerves, they showed admirable presenting skills, confidence and maturity throughout the day. 

Excitingly, their involvement doesn’t stop there! On Friday 23rd May, the boys will take part in The Long Walk and will play a central role in the Dreamtime match, where they have been invited to perform the coin toss in front of a packed MCG.

The entire school community is incredibly proud of what they’ve accomplished, and their place in AFL history as artists of a Dreamtime Guernsey!