Euro-Yroke's (St Kilda) J'Noemi Anderson knows there's young girls around the country watching AFLW football and the competition's First Nations stars showcase their talents in a way they couldn't not so long ago.

The AFLW hosts its leading celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players, people and culture over the next two weekends with its annual Indigenous Round.

The Round was launched at Sir Doug Nicholls Oval in Naarm's inner-northern suburbs on Wednesday.

"It's an opportunity to showcase our talent and also just to speak about our culture...to showcase everything that comes with culture, connection to the land and also just celebrating us," Anderson told National Indigenous Times.

The 21-year-old is in her fifth year with the Saints, and continuing her family legacy at the top level after brothers Joe and Jed, as well as former Adelaide Crow and sister Jasmine.

Growing up, it was the men's game she and others had to look up to.

Now a decade on from when the AFLW began its inaugural season, it's a different story for younger generations.

"Always," Anderson said, when asked if she thinks about young girls, particularly young Indigenous girls, being able to see her as someone playing the game and as an inspiration.

"Coming from Darwin, we've got a lot of a lot of young ladies coming through...now, we've got a lot of Indigenous stars out there and showcasing our talent. It's amazing for the younger generation to see," the Warlpiri Warumungu woman said.

Three years before Carlton and Collingwood packed out Princes Park for the first-ever AFLW game for premiership points, Kokatha woman Bronwyn Davey was running out onto the MCG helping set the foundations for the national expansion of the women's game.

Davey played for Melbourne in the 2013 exhibition match against the Western Bulldogs.

In 2026, she's the league's Indigenous Round honouree in recognition of her impact on and off the field.

"It's still setting in," Davey said, adding it's a good feeling to see her contributions to football and the community recognised side-by-side.

A state league football for Port Adelaide, Greenacres and Palmerstone in the NT, Davey continued her work post-playing as a coach and mentor with the Adelaide Crows' Indigenous Female Academy and, for the last two and a half years, with broader community empowerment initiative STARS Foundation for Indigenous girls.

Davey said she's grateful to be honoured as a support to future generations of Indigenous girls, "whether it is playing at the elite level or being a CEO or the next prime minister".

She admits it was a nerve-racking drive to the MCG in June, 13 years ago.

"I never even thought about the progress or the expansion (at the time)...for it to come a long way in that short period of time is awesome, because our younger generations now get the opportunity to play football at the highest level if they dream of it one day," she said.

Davey joins Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin, Aunty Pam Pedersen, NT football pioneers Ebony Abbott-McCormack and Mary Dunn, and Dockers teammates Alicia Janz and Kirby Bentley as honourees to the round.

Aunty Pam was there on Wednesday, at the oval named after her father and the namesake of the men's competition's Indigenous Round.

During a recent chat with Essendon's AFLW playing group Aunty Pam relayed a similar message of opportunity, with generations to come to play at the elite level still new in the 100-plus year history of football.

Local footballers and recently-crowned NFNL division two premiers Fitzroy Stars and their club president Aunty Esme Bamblett were also at the launch.

AFLW executive general manager Laura Kane said its fitting Indigenous Round will see a new level of coverage across the continent from this weekend.

In round three of the season, every state and territory across Australia will host a match.

Essendon and Richmond meet on Larrakia Country in Darwin on Sunday night for the clubs' Dreamtime Game.

Waywurru woman Georgia Nanscawen will run for the Bombers at TIO Stadium.

Nanscawen's family have been on a journey connecting with their First Nations identity in recent decades, brought on by the passing of her great-grandfather in 1996.

Essendon's strong history of Indigenous representation played a role in this, Nanscawen told AFL.com.au this week.

At the launch she told National Indigenous Times now she's identifying more strongly as Waywurru, with this season's Indigenous Round adding another element to it.

"Which is really special. It makes me feel really proud of my family history," Nanscawen said.

"It's really special to be part of such a club (like Essendon), and to be involved in the Dreamtime game. It's one of the games that we mark on the calendar every year as being one that we really look forward to.

"It's such an honour to get to play in Darwin.

"It's such a great environment...We get to be involved in the community and really showcase football to a different audience, which is fantastic."

Geelong recruit Jasmin Stewart said Indigenous Round sits right at the top of her favourite time on the footy calendar.

"It's cool to see our culture and all First Nations players getting together and everyone being celebrated," the Jaru woman said.

Stewart knows the importance of the opportunity to "bring our culture to life", particularly as role models for younger generations, "for them to see what they could be, what they can be in the future".

Indigenous Round kicks off on Saturday with back-to-back premiers North Melbourne hosting the Bulldogs in Launceston.

The Dreamtime Game in Darwin caps off the first week of the celebrations.

Kuwarna (Adelaide), Narrm (Melbourne), Walyalup (Fremantle), Waalitj Marawar (West Coast), Yartapuulti (Port Adelaide) and Euro-Yroke (St Kilda) will adopt name traditional place and language name changes for the weekend.

All clubs, umpires and half-time Auskickers will wear specially-designed kits.

Yamatji and Martu artist Emma MacNeill has designed the Sherrin to be used during games.