There were times during Graham Blackhall's Wellington Cowboys playing days when he'd be stopped while walking around town during the week.
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"I remember you'd walk down town with your mates and a few of the old boys or elderly people would walk up and go 'who have you got this weekend?' and you'd say whoever and then they would say 'you boys rip in and you have fun' and 'go hard you guys, don't let those fellas beat you'," he said.
It's something the current Cowboys president remembers fondly but says he doesn't see enough of now.
It might only seem something small, but that connection with community gave he and his younger teammates a real purpose many years ago and it's what he and other senior figures at the club currently want to see return.
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Giving young players a purpose and reason to be part of their community is a real focus at Wellington this season and it will be centre stage again on Saturday when the Cowboys host Macquarie in an Indigenous round fixture.
Given a large percentage of the Cowboys' players and the Wellington community is Indigenous, it's an event which means a great deal to the town.
![Changing mindset and creating a sense of worth: How Indigenous round helps the Cowboys Changing mindset and creating a sense of worth: How Indigenous round helps the Cowboys](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/dCXpDgwTEgA52iNCe5aWtJ/a4c40bfd-2d4c-4a52-a043-2f9ac8d498f4.JPG/r629_715_3326_2259_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It will also be the latest chance the club has to help educate many of its younger players across all grades as well as club volunteers and supporters.
"There's no disrespect to the past, but it's about changing the mindset and doing the cultural stuff on the weekend will help change that and allow us to be more inclusive," Blackhall said.
"The boys are changing their mindset and one thing I strongly recommend to all teams is to fulfil the highest and most truthful expectation of yourself.
"And being part of the Indigenous round will be something really big for them, identity-wise."
First grade captain-coach Justin Toomey-White has already spoken this season about his desire to create better young men as well as better footballers.
It's something Blackhall also wants and getting the players connected to their community, he says, helps give them or, in particular, anyone potentially struggling, a real sense of worth.
"I think it's died over so many years. It's about giving them something to look forward to," Blackhall said.
"We talk about mental health of these kids and if we can change the mindset then it might help some of these kids who might be going through something they don't realise they're going through.
"We want to make it safer for them and having this day on Saturday helps give a sense of worth.
"We're not divided and we'll be playing from under 6s right through all day and the seniors will be walking around during the juniors and that can help a lot."
The action at Kennard Park on Saturday will start with the under 6s at 9am while the first grade match against the Raiders is expected to kick-off at 4.40pm.
It means so much to our Aboriginal players, our supporters and our whole community.
- Justin Toomey-White
A welcome to country, smoking ceremony and a traditional dance performance will also be held before the first grade match.
"It's going to be a really significant day and it will have a lot of meaning to a lot of local Aboriginal people," Blackhall said.
Toomey-White reiterated that when speaking about this weekend and the connection Indigenous people have with rugby league.
"It means so much to our Aboriginal players, our supporters and our whole community," the captain-coach said.
"Look at the superstars in the NRL now. We know a lot of the Indigenous community follows rugby league. They've either got family involved or it's on the TV from Thursday to Sunday.
"That's from our kids to adults, it's involved throughout the year with the NRL and local league and then we finish it off on the first weekend of October at the Aboriginal knockout.
"It's a special round and an important conversation starter."
On the field on Saturday, there will again be real excitement about the Cowboys' first grade outfit.
Despite a narrow loss to Parkes last round, Wellington has quickly emerged as a serious contender this season and the recent addition of former NRL star Blake Ferguson provides even more firepower.
The presence of someone like Ferguson, who has risen from the junior Cowboys to playing for his country, will add to the sense of occasion on Saturday.
"This is the meaning of grassroots in smaller communities," Blackhall said.
"Having Blake Ferguson back and people like Justin and there's people who work in schools and the kids can be part of it and watch these guys.
"Having the same sort of jerseys and the maroon and white out there, it gives them that self-belief that there is hope for them and something out there if they do want to venture off and have a crack at rugby league."
Macquarie heads into Saturday's first grade match after back-to-back losses to Nyngan and Dubbo CYMS.
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