International superstar Jessica Mauboy will return to her hometown of Darwin to perform during the pre-match entertainment for the Sir Doug Nicholls Round opener between Gold Coast and Geelong.
Mauboy – a two-time ARIA Award winner – was announced as the headline performer during the week.
The Kuku Yalanji woman is an ambassador for Australian Made Week, which is a campaign celebrating and supporting local makers and growers by encouraging consumers to seek out products with the green and gold kangaroo.
Mauboy said that she was looking forward to performing again in the Top End.
"The fact that I get to come home to Darwin and perform at the opening game of Sir Doug Nicholls Round as part of my role is icing on the cake," Mauboy said.
Mauboy is a three-time winner of the National Indigenous Music Awards Artist of the Year and has recorded six top-ten albums and 16 top-ten singles throughout a career that has spanned multiple decades.
AFL Executive General Manager Inclusion and Social Policy Tanya Hosch said it was great to have Mauboy as part of the Sir Doug Nicholls Round festivities.
"It's fantastic to have multi-ARIA Award winning R&B-pop artist, songwriter and actress Jess Mauboy in Darwin to celebrate the opening match of Sir Doug Nicholls Round," Hosch said.
"Sir Doug Nicholls Round provides an important opportunity for footy to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of First Nations people to our game and the Nation.
"Having Jess join us for this occasion is something that we know many people will enjoy and adds so much to our festivities."
Gold Coast Suns Deputy Chief Executive Simon Fitzgibbon the club's Thursday night showdown with Geelong provided a 'fantastic opportunity' for his club.
"It's a fantastic opportunity for our club to host the opening match of Sir Doug Nicholls Round in the Northern Territory - a region with which we have such a deep connection.
"Having a world-renowned and locally-made talent such as Jess performing pre-match in her home city will only add to what will be a great experience to begin an iconic round on the AFL calendar.
"We currently have 10 players with connections to the Northern Territory on our AFL and AFLW lists and we're looking forward to immersing ourselves in the local communities throughout our week's stay in the Territory."
