Collingwood’s VFLW team play their last round of the home and away season against Geelong at AIA Centre.

Speaking with four of our Indigenous players, they tell their stories on the importance of having Indigenous Round and what it means to them.

Aliesha Newman, Danica Pedersen, Nicola Weston and Rhiannon Busch are proud Indigenous Women representing Collingwood’s VFLW team.

Aliesha Newman believes that the dialogue around Indigenous Round is important.

“It is important to start conversations and educate those around you; teammates, staff, fans, friends, family and the community”, Newman said.

“This round brings people together and I’m hoping the importance of this round grows every year moving forward”.

Danica Pedersen believes that seeing those around her embrace, respect and acknowledge First Nations peoples is remarkable.

In a football setting, Danica believes that having the round is important for many reasons.

“Footy brings people together for so many reasons. When I played footy as a junior, Indigenous Round was never spoken about. The fact now I play footy and there is an acknowledgement to Indigenous people/players is a huge step forward and it’s something that I am excited for my future children and future generations to be a part of”, Pedersen said.

Nicola Weston is excited to be a part of the round on and off the field.

“To me, it not only educates those about our culture and its rich history, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity and strengthens our bond through the sport we love to play”, Weston said.

“While I still am on my journey to discover where I come from and who my mob are, I am proud to be an Indigenous woman alongside my family’, Weston said.

Rhiannon Busch comes from Normanton, in the Gulf of Carpentaria in remote North Queensland.

Busch considers this round important as she feels valued and part of the family at Collingwood.

“It acknowledges us as First Nations people and acknowledges our culture for one, but we are good footballers as well. For me, not having any Mob down in Victoria and being part of Collingwood and having this round makes me feel acknowledged and valued and I am part of a big family as well”, Busch said.

Busch also believes that it opens the conversation to what is important, the history and its implications today on Indigenous people.

“It highlights the contribution that Indigenous people make to the game and with Reconciliation Week coming up as well, it’s a really good time to have the conversation around how disadvantaged Indigenous people still are and footy is one avenue Indigenous people can excel in”, Busch said.

Football is a common ground for a lot of Indigenous people, but there are still many barriers Indigenous athletes face.

“There are a lot of great footballers out there in communities, but education is a major barrier. Having to relocate where they live remotely to adjust to a big city is very, very difficult with not having the support they need around them”, Busch said.

“A big barrier is feeling shame and not having the confidence. They might have the greatest sporting ability, but shame is a big thing in my community and me growing up, not being able to articulate what I wanted to talk about”, Busch said.

Busch wants people to take from the round that it is the layers underneath the round that are important.

“It is where the conversations start; understanding what Colonisation has done to Indigenous people and how you can be an ally and move forward for our First Nations people”, Busch said.

“Keep taking steps forward on how we can support Indigenous people from moving from towns to big cities and excel in their footy careers. Just being an ally, you don’t have to know all the answers, but you can be there to listen which shows support”, Busch said.

Collingwood’s game against Geelong will be free entry and live streamed at vflw.tv.