WHAT a month this is turning out to be. The Swans played against Essendon on Sunday for the Marn Grook trophy – which we won – and now I’m looking forward to this weekend’s Indigenous Round. I even played in the winning Victorian side at the Hall of Fame tribute match a week earlier. It all makes for a memorable May.

I reckon it’s fantastic that Indigenous players are recognised by the AFL for their contribution to the game, and I look forward to the Indigenous Round with immense pride.

It’s going to be great to get down to Port Adelaide this weekend with my brother Michael [O’Loughlin] to play some good footy against a side that has talented Indigenous players.

The AFL should be congratulated for having this round but there are other initiatives too. The KickStart program – a partnership between the AFL, ATSIC and the NT government - is a welcome scheme as it gives young Indigenous players the opportunity to play the code, learn all about our great game of Australian Football and learn some good life skills.

Obviously I’m focusing on being an elite athlete but at the end of the day, you’re just playing a game of footy. So it’s great to go out into the community and make a few people smile and kick a footy around.

And just spending time with people outside of football – be they Indigenous or non Indigenous – is good to do and it makes you realise how privileged we are to be playing AFL footy.

A lot of people ask me if it’s something we feel is expected of us. Players like myself and Michael [O’Loughlin], we enjoy getting out and meeting people and trying to do our bit to help. It's not expected of us, we just like to do it.

I guess I've had good role models. When I was about 13, I remember being inspired by guys like Michael Long.
He is one of the great Indigenous players of the modern era who’s gone on and done fantastic work in the communities. I’ve spent time with Longy at Indigenous footy camps and I see him every now and then.

Another player I looked up to was Gilbert McAdam, the former St Kilda and Brisbane half forward. Gilbert was one of those people who showed the way and he was a great spur for me in my life.

I tell you what, being with the Victorian team the previous week made me realise there are quite a few young players coming up. Although I’m only 28, I do feel like I’m kind of becoming an elder statesman for Indigenous footballers.

Guys like myself and Michael, David Wirrpanda at West Coast and Adelaide’s Andrew McLeod are some of the more mature Indigenous players around, so it’s good that we can pass on our experience to the next generation.

Hopefully, I can be as good a role model as the blokes who I looked up to when I was a young fella.

This great sport of ours has come a long way – and this weekend’s round is another example of how far the AFL has come.

Round nine is the AFL’s Indigenous Round, highlighting the relationship between the game and Indigenous Australia. This year’s round features a number of events, culminating in the Long Walk and the annual Dreamtime at the 'G game between Essendon and Richmond on Saturday night. Click here for full coverage.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the clubs of the AFL.