Our game is so unique and special because it’s made for everybody; no matter their shape, size, religion, colour or build.
That anyone can play the game is one of the reasons that Australian football has such an important role in the well-being of indigenous people.
Our game – and sport in general – has a massively important role in community leadership; in building stronger teams and stronger groups within communities; and it definitely helps with education.
I know for me, going through year 12 with my football taking off, it really gave me confidence to finish off my VCE certificate in Horsham. It gave me the confidence to do my studies and do my homework and to give it my best.
It has a lot of health benefits as well: being active, training, learning about the right foods to eat, how much fluid and how much food you need to have to play at an optimal level.
Another thing I love about playing AFL football is that I’m perceived as a role model for indigenous and non-indigenous people alike.
That’s something that I really hold deep in my heart – to know that people look up to me and to the way that I play football and how I handle myself off the field.
Having those people think, ‘You know what, I wouldn’t mind being like Adam Goodes’ is a nice feeling.
However, it’s important not to become daunted by the prospect of being a role model.
Everyone makes mistakes and you can’t get caught up thinking that you’ve got to be a good role model and curb every behaviour in all parts of your life.
The thing about being a positive role model is that you walk the talk and hopefully what I do on the footy field lives up to how people see me as a role model.
This weekend’s Indigenous Round is a great time to celebrate our Aboriginal players and what they bring to our game but it’s also a time to say ‘thank you’.
We’ve got more than 80 indigenous players running around at 16 AFL clubs now and Indigenous Round gives us a chance to recognise those people who played before us, who have umpired and those who have volunteered their time.
It’s a chance to recognise those people who have helped get every Aboriginal player – including myself and Mick O’Loughlin – to where we are now.
Without their help and assistance over the years, it wouldn’t have been as easy for us younger players to play today.
When I started, there were five indigenous players at the Swans and now there are only two. Every other club has gone the other way, which has been fantastic.
The AFL and the players’ association have really made it a lot easier for indigenous people to come into a football club and feel a part of it.
Football clubs now know about the different culture that Aboriginal people have compared to other religions and other cultures, and they know that we do need to be treated differently from time to time during the football season.
That awareness has made it a lot easier for players to come down from communities up north, or even for people like me, to come across from South Australia or a rural community and really give it our best shot.
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs or the AFL.
