A leading figure in Naarm's Aboriginal sport community says a gathering recognising Nicky Winmar's iconic stand at Victoria Park sends a powerful and necessary message 31 years on, with racism still rearing its head in local footy.

On April 21, Collingwood's old home ground played host to the second Ngarra Jarra Noun Healing Ceremony sparked by the St Kilda champion's enduring moment.

12 months earlier, thousands convened to hear Winmar again declare "I'm Black and proud" surrounded by Indigenous former players.

The second time around, dancing, music and coming together was at the forefront.

The afternoon featured 11 Victorian traditional dance groups, sets by Uncle Johnny Lovett, Naylene Yinarr, Deans of Soul and Torres Strait Islander hip hop artist Mau Power, traditional games on the ground for the kids, and market stalls from Australian and international First Nations and allied businesses.

For emcee and in his own words, 'cultural interpreter' for the afternoon, Jason Tamiru: "The great healer is culture and community."

"When we come here with our culture, we stomp our feet and clap our hands and chant and play our cultural things to reconnect and sort those different energies that are disconnected (and) bring them back together. I feel this is what our culture does and this is what happened today," he said.

Organiser and Essendon icon Nathan Lovett-Murray said "it was about trying to get everybody involved and participate in the ceremony".

"It's about showcasing our culture and something that we're proud of," he told National Indigenous Times.

The event was a tribute to Melbourne and Shepparton-based Aboriginal sporting groups Fitzroy Stars and Rumbalara Football Netball Club.

Representatives and players from both clubs joined in a yarning circle and cleansing fire with Winmar on the same pocket where he lifted his jumper and pointed to his skin after enduring racist taunts from the crowd in 1993.

Lovett-Murray has represented the two clubs since retiring from the AFL.

"I know that racism still exists and not much has been done about it. We wanted to do this event to really highlight at grassroots level racism is happening and it needs to be called out," he said.

"It's about all the mobs coming together and that solidarity."

Former Stars president and Victorian Treaty Assembly member Troy Austin told National Indigenous Times it's important to come together, given racism is still rearing its head at the grassroots level.

"Not so long ago we've had our jumper that was burnt by a club, for instance, and put on social media. We've got young kids being called monkeys still," he said.

"There are these racist things that are obvious, but there's also the racism when you're just standing in a crowd and you overhear a comment…It's on the field, it's in the grandstands, and it's in society still.

"When you head down to things like this, you think 'oh, it's just a bit of a community gathering, you'll catch up with some people'. But then participating in the event, you get that real sense of healing and you hear some of the stories that people are sharing."

Rumbalara president Uncle Tony Briggs said club sports can still be an "exclusive" place.

"There's only two clubs in the state of Victoria that are Aboriginal clubs. There's about 4000 other clubs and we work really hard to survive in the environment out there. It's pretty racist. It's pretty aggressive. It's very hostile and it's very exclusive," he said.

"It's very important that we sustain these pieces of infrastructure that bring us together that create and inform cultural expression, cultural affirmation and social inclusion for our mob and give us some place to go and celebrate…and to go and compete."

He said at 'Rumba' and the Stars "we are our existence" and continued the path set themselves in the 1970s, and by others.

"We're acknowledging our ancestors, we're acknowledging our history, and we're looking forward to the future.

With shared experiences of being subjected to ignorance, Mr Austin said stories of empowerment and defiance were shared in powerful conversation.

After attending in 2023, Collingwood president Jeff Browne said his club would continue to engage with the events as they strive to influence the country's sporting landscape for the better after learning from past mistakes.

The Magpies and AFL have been key supporters of the Ngarra Jarra Noun gatherings.

Lovett Murray said they'll be back "bigger and better" in 2025.