Defender Wayne Milera’s journey sits at the heart of the Crows’ 2026 First Nations guernsey - a design that weaves together family, culture, and the path that shaped him into the player he is today.
On Tuesday, Adelaide proudly unveiled this year’s guernsey, which is a deeply personal reflection of Milera’s story brought to life through symbols that trace both his football beginnings and cultural identity.
The Crows’ AFLW and SANFL teams will also wear the guernsey during their respective Indigenous Rounds, with the State League team to don a red version.
Milera, whose father is from the Yorke Peninsula and is from Narungga nation, while his mother is Gunditjmara and Jardwadjali, from Western Victoria, says he is proud to share his story and to have designed this year’s guernsey.
“Jeremy Johncock (Crows First Nations Programs Manager) rang me up in the off-season and asked if I wanted to design this year’s guernsey and I couldn’t be happier to,” Milera said.
“My first thought was to get an artist to help with the design, and luckily I had a cousin in mind - Steven Warrior - so I rang him straight away and he was pretty keen to help.
“I am very proud to be an Indigenous man, I love having the ability to share my culture with the community and the footy Club.”
At the guernsey’s core are his two mobs - Narungga and Gunditjmara - with footprints tracing his path through Country and football. White dots symbolise his Nanna and ancestors, offering ongoing guidance and protection.
The smaller circles represent Milera’s junior clubs - Ingle Farm Football Club and Central District Football Club - while the larger ones reflect his journey with the Crows at AFL level.
The design also draws on creation stories, with Buthera from Narungga Country alongside Bunjil and Waa the Crow from Victoria, connecting culture across regions.
A central meeting place represents Milera today, shaped by family, culture and football, while acknowledging the legacy of South Australia’s missions.
Handprints symbolising his immediate family - wife Nina and two sons Carter and Stanley - surround it, with person symbols included for his brother and sisters.
Two feathers feature across the design - one for the Crows’ supporters, the other for Kaurna Country, where the club is based.
“My design is about family and my journey and how all the places I’ve been - from my junior footy clubs to the Crows - everyone has become family,” Milera said.
“I really wanted to represent that and the people who have helped me get to where I am today.
“It is a reminder of the places I’ve been and the people who have supported me, that’s important to acknowledge.”
Indigenous artist Steven Warrior said he was honoured to help design a guernsey for the Club.
“I was super stoked, I can remember when Wayne and I were two little kids running around both our Nanna’s house on the Peninsula,” Warrior said.
“To be able to share Wayne’s story and share our culture and the mobs we come from is an honour.
“It took a good couple of months, once we got the foundations of the story we wanted to tell, we could go through the process of creating the artwork itself.
“It’s a very detailed story, but it’s a really good opportunity to share not only Wayne’s personal story, but also the people we come from as well.”
Adelaide will wear the guernsey on the opening weekend of Sir Doug Nicholls Round against North Melbourne at Adelaide Oval on May 16, and again against Hawthorn in Tasmania on May 21.
Adelaide will change its name to Kuwarna in celebration of Indigenous culture and heritage during the AFL’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round.
Kuwarna (pronounced goo-wun-na) is the Kaurna translation for the word Crows and has been used in consultation with the Kaurna Warra Karrpanthi Language Corporation.
To buy the Adelaide Football Club’s 2026 First Nations guernsey, click here.
