Of late, the chance to influence people has been extended to a new group of people.

In a curtain-raiser to our round-eight match against Melbourne, the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne fielded teams of highly skilled amateur athletes in the third game of women’s AFL. 

I was fortunate enough to attend the draft for the two teams about a month ago and present players selected by the Bulldogs with their first red, white and blue jumpers – one of which was Ballarat’s Kaitlyn Ashmore. 

The emotion in the room was incredible. The elation of those selected was matched by the devastation of those who weren’t.

However, what surprised me the most was the incredible support these women showed for each other. 

Despite the fact that most of them go head-to-head playing in women’s leagues around the country every weekend, it was as if they wanted success for each other as much as they wanted it for themselves.

Standing on a windswept Whitten Oval, watching the Bulldogs team train, it crossed my mind that when I’m out there training with my teammates, I am one of about 800 men playing Australian rules at the highest level. But when I was out there with the women’s team, I was watching 22 of the best 50 female players in the country. 

The thing that I loved the most about seeing the women running around on the MCG was that it gave young girls everywhere something to aspire to. 

For years it has only been young boys that could dream about playing football on the “’G”, but now girls can, too. 

Just a week later, we recognise and celebrate the impact and contribution that Indigenous people have had not only on our game, but on our nation. Some of the most memorable moments in recent AFL history have featured Indigenous players – Lewis Jetta and Cyril Rioli’s footrace down the wing in the 2012 grand final; Nicky Winmar lifting his jumper and showing his pride in his skin colour; the Krakouer brothers’ uncanny ability to find each other on the football field; Ashley Sampi’s mark of the year in 2004; and Adam Goodes’ Brownlow medals in 2003 and 2006.

Some of the Indigenous footballers I have played with in my seven years at the kennel have gone on to do great things in their communities. 

Nathan Djerrkura retired from AFL football after the 2012 season and moved back to Arnhem Land where he had grown up. This week, he launched his first solo art exhibition in Geelong, where he was first drafted.

Zephaniah Skinner was drafted in 2010 and moved from his remote community at Noonkanbah Station, Western Australia, to Footscray in Melbourne’s west. I can’t begin to understand the culture shock that Zeph must have experienced, but he returned to his community at the end of 2012 with new skills and a story to tell the kids back home.

Just what my teammate Brett Goodes will contribute is yet to be determined, but he is already an outstanding mentor to young Indigenous players and a tireless worker for his community. 

Each time I pull on a Western Bulldogs jumper, I do so with enormous pride. 

This week, I will pull on a jumper that represents our Indigenous people’s culture and history, and that makes it even more special.

• Western Bulldogs vice-captain Jordan Roughead writes an exclusive column for The Courier fortnightly.

Roughead was drafted from North Ballarat Rebels in the 2008 AFL Draft and made his AFL debut in round five, 2010. He played his junior football with Lake Wendouree.