Former Richmond star and designer of the 2026 Dreamtime guernsey, Michael Mitchell, joined the Talking Tigers podcast to explain the meaning behind the guernsey and his experience as a Richmond footballer.
Although the annual Dreamtime game between Richmond and Essendon didn’t come to life until 2007, meaning Mitchell didn't have the opportunity to play in one of the fixtures, the chance to pull on the yellow and black each week as a Tiger meant more than enough.
“It was dreamtime every week for me,” Mitchell said.
“I got fit, and I finally worked out a bit of tactics with my footy. I didn’t do that over at Claremont. I had some bad habits, and that was part of the reason I came over (to Richmond).
“My footy went to another level and people now still think I went ok.”
Earlier this year, the AFL and AFLW players travelled to Shark Bay, in Western Australia, where Mitchell and his family shared the story of the guernsey and what it means to their family.
“The story (of the Dreamtime guernsey) is about my journey from Carnarvon, which is the Warriors Football Club, and so the three larger circles are those communities,” Mitchell said.
“There is a watermark on it, Warriors Football Club in Carnarvon, then Claremont and then my journey across to Richmond here at the ‘G.
“The turtle and the dugong, they are part of our stable and the red cockatoo that is on the back, is our spirit dreaming for our parents, Jone and Charlie Mitchell. They are both deceased now, but whenever we hear one of them, we connect straight away to mum and dad.”
