Everywhere the St Kilda Football Club has ever based itself has been on my people's traditional Country, Boonwurrung Country.

I just wanted to say how proud I am of our football club, Euro Yuroke Marngrook Kerrupinon (St Kilda Football Club).

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It was around seven years ago that we didn't have a single Indigenous player on our list. We'd send James Gwilt out to toss the coin for Indigenous Round, whose mum is from Papua New Guinea. Another year, around the same time we had Terry Milera on the list but he didn't get the call up that week.

In a season that already looked lost for us, as an Indigenous man that was pretty deflating to see. We were totally underrepresented, in something that is so integral to the concept of "Australian culture" and in my opinion the most effective tool we have for any chance at reconciliation.

This autochthonous game has been developed, nurtured and fortified concurrently with the development of the country since colonisation. It is the one thing that we can say for certain: this is ours, all of ours, and it's ours to share with everyone else.

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If something represents a start for adapting and celebrating over 100,000 years of history, the world's oldest living culture, as something the nation can embrace and grow from, it's football.

That's why I'm so proud to look at our team now and see five beautiful Aboriginal men pulling on the red, white and black.

For a club with such an integral and rich history for blackfellas in the AFL, like Uncle Nicky's famous stand, trailblazers like Uncle Jim Wandin & Robbie Muir, prized recruits like Narkle, the McAdams and Krakouer – even our jumper colours from 1915-1922 coincidentally share those with the Aboriginal flag, this is simply an absolute necessity and must be continued.

I was there when our supporters booed brotherboy Adam Goodes, and I have never felt more shame. The club should have done something, and still has the opportunity to do so. Our future will look better on our past if we do.

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To my djaambis, my brotherboys, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for reassuring me as a fan, thank you for committing to this club, thank you for representing and showing the world what we're capable of. You mob give me confidence to bring more people to the club, to bring my kids and family up as Saints fans and to carry on the legacy built by heroes of all of ours.

Right now we've all been through a lot. I don't know any mob who right now would say, "I'm okay". It's hard watching everything going on and not really knowing what to do.

That uncertainty, that insecurity – we all feel it too. Change is coming, and you mob here are doing your part to make sure it's for the better. Ngun godjin (thank you) and go Saints!

Yanebangal boonmarrittak gooreen,

Rudi Louis Taylor Bragge
Iowendjeri Boonwurrung Kulin