Every year, we're reminded of the significance of Pride Round in small, but incredibly meaningful ways.

For AFLW half-back Tilly Lucas-Rodd, it was a simple email from a fellow teacher early last week.

“She has a Year 4 student who did some drawings of a couple of us players, and she actually drew G-Train (Caitlin Greiser) with her Pride Jumper on,” Lucas-Rodd, joined by St Kilda CEO Matt Finnis, told the Loud & Proud Project.

“I think something like that, it’s so small and can seem insignificant, but for that little girl, that could start a conversation with her class or a discussion about what that jumper means.”

The AFLW will celebrate its inaugural Pride Round over Round 2, with the Saints set to take on the Kangaroos at Arden Street Oval on Sunday.

“As AFLW players, we have a great platform where we can lead social change and stand up for what we believe in,” Lucas-Rodd said.

“I know that I’m fortunate for my experiences, and working as a teacher’s aide and also studying teaching, I know that a lot of young people aren’t that lucky.

“Some people don’t get that from those closest to them, so it’s important they can have it from somewhere.”

The role of football clubs in advocating social equality remains a debated topic in some circles, but St Kilda CEO Matt Finnis says it is their responsibility to help create change.

“It is just a sport, but it’s a sport which means so much to so many,” Finnis said.

“I think over the last 20 or 30 years, people have lost faith in some of the traditional institutions of society where you would normally look for leadership, and for better or worse, footy clubs have kind of stepped into that vacuum, perhaps.

“We’ve all recognised that we’ve got a responsibility to discharge that leadership opportunity that we have in a positive way.

“If we can take some small steps towards that, then hopefully we’ll leave our club and our community in a better place than where we found it.”

Listen to the full Loud & Proud Project podcast here.