This week the National NAIDOC Committee honoured AFL legend and lifelong advocate Michael Long as the recipient of the 2025 National NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award, and announced the winner of the 2025 National NAIDOC Week Poster Competition.
The two announcements made Wednesday reflect this year's NAIDOC theme: "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy." The theme is a call to uplift, invest in, and listen to the emerging generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples — and to honour the legacies that paved the way.
This year's National NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award went to Mr Long, a proud Anmatjere and Marranunggu man, football icon, and lifelong advocate for truth, justice, and self-determination.
Mr Long's leadership has lit the path for generations. From the AFL field to the front steps of Parliament House, his actions have inspired a nation.
In 2004, he undertook "The Long Walk" — a 650-kilometre journey from Melbourne to Canberra — to demand better outcomes for First Nations peoples. He's never stopped walking since.
"Michael Long is one of our country's most respected leaders," said National NAIDOC Co-Chair Aunty, Professor Lynette Riley.
"His influence has gone far beyond football. He opened doors, challenged systems, and always walked with purpose and heart. His work has empowered generations of First Nations youth to see themselves as leaders and changemakers. This honour recognises not just what Michael has done, but what he continues to inspire in others."
The 2025 National NAIDOC Week poster is an artwork titled Ancestral Lines, created by Jeremy Morgan Worrall, a proud Ngarbal/Gomeroi man from Emmaville and Deepwater in northern New South Wales. His family lines include the Wrights, Connors, and Marlows.
His work honours the knowledge, care and cultural strength passed down through generations — from Ancestors Lucy, Enoch and Nonie Wright to his Nanna Audrie and his mother Vanessa.
The digital artwork is set beneath the swirling clouds and moonlit skies of Tenterfield, "where the next generation gathers around the fire — to listen, to learn, and to lead".
"When I look back at my mob, it helps me see towards the future," Mr Worrall said.
"This piece tells the story of our knowledge — of lore, care, hunting, weaving, and love — being passed on through time. My hope is that it speaks to young people and shows them that they come from strength. They come from a legacy of survival and brilliance. And that gives us all vision for what comes next."
National NAIDOC Co-Chair Steven Satour said "this year we honour both legacy and future".
"Jeremy's work reminds us that culture lives through generations, and Michael has spent his life building those very pathways. He's fought to ensure the next generation has more than just hope — they have power, space, and recognition. Michael Long is a living bridge between where we've come from and where we're going," he said.
The National NAIDOC Committee and Kmart Group announced that Kmart and Target has once again been appointed the Official National NAIDOC Week Poster Distribution Partner for 2025. The 2025 NAIDOC poster will be available across the country in Kmart and Target stores from 15 June 2025 and is available for download on the NAIDOC Downloads page.