Western Sydney has more Indigenous and Torres Strait Islanders living in it than any other area of Australia.
And that partly explains why AFL has established an Acadamies Program involving seven local schools.
Its annual Gala Day involves the students in not only AFL skills but also important aspects of Indigenous culture.
Tameka Rex, a student at one of the schools, explains.
"We do a lot of cultural programs as well. We do cooking, so we cook traditional foods. We paint boomerangs. We do artworks and stuff. So it's not just all revolved around sport."
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
The singing of the national anthem took place in both English and local Indigenous language.
Merinda Beale, who coordinates the acadamies' work, says it is an example of what Naidoc is all about and what the acadamies are trying to establish.
"It's about celebrating our culture, and that we're still here, and that our culture's still so rich, and that, you know, it's not forgotten. So I'm really proud about that and how our kids can still sing in language."
Matthew Keevil is the development-program officer for the academies.
He knows all about the stresses and strains on Indigenous youths in the area.
He almost dropped out of school in Year 11 before participating in the academies.
Mr Keevil says his example can show the current schoolchildren in the scheme the dangers.
He says the mentoring central to its success is not only helping the children but also helping break down stereotypes.
"Western Sydney gets these names, about getting stereotypes like 'a lot of people don't work, and they're all on Centrelink.' Where, once you see an Indigenous male or female break that stereotype and passing it on, I think that's, yeah, huge."
And when that mentoring system works as intended, Mr Keevil says, it is deeply satisfying.
"I love seeing kids at school when they do, I guess, come up to me and tell me they've just been accepted for traineeships. Or if they have finished their HSC and I see them in the street, say, a couple of months later, and they have got full-time work or they're at university, or into further studies, which, yeah, is a bit of a buzz."
Naidoc Week begins on Sunday July 2.
