Crows co-captain Rory Sloane is first in line to celebrate his Indigenous teammates during Sir Doug Nicholls Round, but that’s not the only reason why he looks forward to it each year.

For Sloane, it’s also a chance to build a greater understanding of Indigenous culture.

“For a non-Indigenous player as well, it’s a special round to be a part of and I love that we all get to celebrate one of the world’s longest living culture,” Sloane said.

“We have great guys like Wayne [Milera Jnr], Cam Ellis-Yolmen, Eddie Betts who educate a lot of us about their culture.

“There are always great learnings every year and, as a group, we make sure we immerse ourselves in the culture - particularly this time of year.”

REVEALED: Adelaide's 2019 Indigenous guernsey

For the Crows co-captain, having a deeper understanding of his teammates’ culture is paramount - particularly when it comes to tackling racial discrimination.

“It just helps me understand how it makes my teammates feel when racial issues do pop up,” he said.

“I’ve been fortunate enough not to experience anything like that personally so it’s important to understand how much it hurts them.

“Our boys are just such good mates of mine and to see them hurting over it, I just can’t stand it.”

This weekend is also a chance for Sloane to grow his cherished collection of Indigenous guernseys.

“They’re the best guernseys… I’ll never ever get rid of one - they’re all in my cupboard at home, all stacked next to each other,” Sloane said.

“I know all the boys look forward to pulling it on, the designs are always amazing.”

Milera said Sloane’s interest in his own culture had not gone unnoticed.

“I’ve definitely seen Sloaney asking questions and wanting to know more about it [Indigenous culture],” Milera said.

“(It’s) great for us to see the other players, especially our leaders, wanting to learn more.

“Our club really embraces the round and all put into making it special for all of us.”