MAGPIE RADIO > Sharrod Wellingham & Chris Bryan on The Squawk

AHEAD of a round recognising the contribution of indigenous players to Australian football, it is fitting to acknowledge the circumstances leading to the mixed fortunes of Collingwood's Aboriginal teammates Brad Dick and Sharrod Wellingham

Dick, 19, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in the Pies' pre-season NAB Challenge match against West Coast, ending his chances of playing this year.

His immediate shift to the long-term injury list meant a rookie-listed player was illegible to be elevated – and it was Dick's fellow Western Australian in Wellingham that was given the nod.

Since then, 19-year-old Wellingham has been selected for two senior games after overcoming the "mixed feelings" he felt about his mate's injury.

"He's awesome and he's going to be there at the club for ages," Wellingham told collingwoodfc.com.au, when asked about Dick. 

"Even though he's been shut down, he's been awesome in being around the club all the time.

"You just see how hard he's working. The other day, [David] Buttifant was putting him through his regime and he was spewing all through the gym.

"Just seeing how hard he's working and how much he wants to be out there is really good."

The young pair played together in an Aboriginal carnival in Albany a few years before Dick was drafted, which meant Wellingham made the shift across the Nullarbor confident he'd know at least one person at the Lexus Centre.

In wider Melbourne, however, finding familiar faces was never going to be a problem. Wellingham went to school with Western Bulldog Josh Hill, and is a second cousin of another Bulldog in Brennan Stack.

He also attended Perth's Trinity College with Adelaide's Jarrhan Jacky.

"We won our school competition. We don't play a Grand Final or anything like that, but we were undefeated," he said, of the potent list Trinity was able to put together.

Wellingham said Aboriginal players generally share a bond that goes beyong geographical boundaries.

"You don't really need to see each other every day; you can just take the conversation off from where you were last time," he said.

He also noted teammate and fellow West Australian Leon Davis has been a great help to him, especially over the pre-season when the youngster found himself in trouble over a drink-driving charge. 

"This year he's been awesome. I think he just knew I was ready to step up, and he's also matured a lot this year as far as off-field leadership goes," Wellingham said.

"He's been good by putting himself in my situation and telling me what he would have done, and to take my opportunities."

Wellingham's father was born in England and moved to Australia as a 20-year-old, after falling in love with the country while on holiday. He then met Sharrod's mother in Newman, a mining town in the heart of the Western Australian Pilbara.

Today, Wellingham's family remains in Perth, with the close-knit group making it tough for the young gun to move away at the end of last year.

"They all live pretty close, within a few suburbs of each other, and they're always around at each other's houses," he said.

"That was probably the thing I missed most when I moved over here, friends and family. You can deal with not being in a city and things like that, but you do really miss your family and friends."

Wellingham lives with Nick Maxwell and Sean Rusling in Spotswood, and credits the house – and a pre-match routine of eating ribs the night before – to the bevy of talented Magpies, including former housemate Harry O'Brien, that has recently developed.

He also credits his teammates and coaches for ensuring he had the right support when he found himself in hot water over the drink-driving incident, which cost the club its TAC sponsorship in January this year.

"Everyone has been there for me and keeping me on track," he said.

"The start of the season was a bit stressful, but I think it put me in a really good mindset for the rest of the year.

"The club has been unbelievably supportive and the other players have been awesome. We've got a new leadership group, a young leadership group, and my mentor [Scott Pendlebury] has been really good.

"The whole thing has made me more determined and more mindful of doing everything right for the club and for my football."