Sydney Swans and GO Foundation ambassador Dr Anita Heiss will enjoy the privileged role of tossing the coin ahead of Friday night’s Marn Grook at the SCG clash with Collingwood.

Sydney and Collingwood will open Sir Doug Nicholls Round, which pays tribute to the enduring influence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture on the game.

Dr Heiss was born in Gadigal country, is a proud member of the Wiradjuri nation and has spent much of her life on Dharawal land near La Perouse in Sydney's south-east.

She is one of Australia’s most well-known authors and has published books across a host of genres, including non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial fiction and children’s novels.

She even co-wrote a book titled Kicking Goals with Goodesy and Magic, which centres on Swans greats Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin.

Dr Heiss is also an ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and Worawa Aboriginal College, while she’s on the Board of the State Library of Queensland and is a Professor of Communications at the University of Queensland.