POWER forward Daniel Motlop is hopeful his team’s core group of indigenous players will give Port Adelaide an edge over the Sydney Swans on Saturday afternoon.

On Tuesday, Motlop joined his five indigenous teammates and Essendon legend Michael Long, at the Kaurna School in Elizabeth to help launch the AFL’s Indigenous Round.

“Obviously, all us indigenous boys want to play well this week,” Motlop said.

“The Swans have a couple of indigenous boys playing for them too with Micky-O [O’Loughlin] and Adam Goodes. We’ll be trying to play well and, hopefully, with the weight of numbers of indigenous boys in our favour, we can win.

“The AFL’s Indigenous Round shows a lot of respect for indigenous players and the contribution we’ve made to the game. It’s a pretty proud weekend for us.”

Motlop is one of 13 indigenous players to pull on the Power guernsey in the club’s short history.

As a child, Motlop idolised indigenous stars Long and Michael McLean and said it was important to recognise the contribution pioneers, like Long, had made to the game and the wider community.

“It all started with Michael Long and those sort of blokes. We owe them a lot of credit for what they did for the game,” Motlop said.

“For those guys to play when there were only two or three indigenous guys in the whole competition was really good. They paved the pathway for us, and also the rest to come. All us boys have great respect for them.”

A DVD of highlights from indigenous players across the league was aired at the start of Tuesday’s launch, with Motlop and teammate Danyle Pearce featuring heavily.

Motlop, who kicked a career-best seven goals in round seven, said he owed a lot to coach and indigenous advocate Mark Williams.

“I think coaches today embrace Aboriginal players because of their talent and they tend to get the best out of them,” he said.

“I grew up playing Auskick and that was the path I wanted to follow. Lucky enough, I was drafted firstly by North Melbourne and then made my way to Port Adelaide.

“I’m a bit older and a bit wiser now. I’m doing all the right things off the field and training a bit harder.

“Jason Cripps has done a lot for me since I’ve been at the club and Choco has been great for all the indigenous boys as well. I probably pay a lot of the credit to those two.”

Port Adelaide has also taken its support of indigenous football to a new level this year with the introduction of the Aboriginal Power Cup.

Six indigenous teams, three country and three metropolitan, will compete at Alberton in August with the winners earning the right to play in the curtain raiser before the Power’s round 20 clash with Collingwood.

Motlop, who has played 84 AFL games, said football had provided him with some wonderful opportunities.

“If it wasn’t for football, I think I’d be back in Darwin doing something. I probably would never have left Darwin actually,” he said.

“My father sent me down to Adelaide when I was young and gave me the opportunity to play footy. It was pretty hard for me moving away, but I came to Adelaide to try and make it in the AFL.

“I’m pretty grateful for that and I’ve got a lot out of footy now.”

This season, Motlop was joined at Alberton by his cousin, Marlon, and, with the number of indigenous players in the AFL tipped to double in the near future, we might just see another Motlop in the black, white and teal.

Daniel Motlop’s younger brother Steven, who has just turned 17, is already turning heads playing as a forward in Darwin.

“There are a couple more Motlops coming through,” Motlop said with a smile.