Port Adelaide forward Daniel Motlop hopes the Power's Aboriginal influence will help them overpower Sydney in this weekend's AFL indigenous round.

Port boasts six indigenous players and a proud Aboriginal history given Gavin Wanganeen was the club's first captain in the national competition and Byron Pickett won the Norm Smith Medal in their 2004 grand final triumph.

Motlop and his five indigenous teammates, plus former Essendon great Michael Long, helped the AFL on Tuesday launch this weekend's themed round which celebrates the indigenous contribution to Australian football.

Motlop said it would be a "pretty proud weekend" for Aboriginal players.

He hoped the indigenous round would fire the Power against the Swans at AAMI Stadium on Saturday, after the Swans thrashed Port by 68 points at the SCG in round two.

"Obviously, you know, all us indigenous boys want to play good this week," Motlop said.

"They have got a couple of indigenous boys playing for them - Adam Goodes and Michael O'Loughlin.

"So you know we will try and play good.

"And hopefully, you know, weight of numbers, we've got six in our team, hopefully we can win.

"Obviously we want to get our game back this week - and we really need to win to keep our finals hopes alive.

"We are a fast team and they will be trying to match us with our pace.

"We have to match them with their hardness ... we will see what happens."

Motlop, who is enjoying another productive season on the forward line, paid tribute to the players who built an indigenous culture in the AFL.

"It started with Michael Long and them sort of blokes," he said.

"For them to play when there was only two or three in the game ... we owe a lot of respect to them."

Ten per cent of AFL-listed players are indigenous, and Long believed the numbers would rise.

"I think I couldn't see it not doubling or tripling in the future," Long said.

"You only have to look at how the game is changing, it suits the style, the running, I think that's what people come to see - the freakish things the players do."

He said the AFL had embraced indigenous culture and educated a nation.

"When you talk about rule 30 and racial vilification, it's opened up enormous opportunities," he said.

"You only have to look back at history.

"Look at (former Carlton star) Syd Jackson and (Geelong great) Polly Farmer and what they would have went through - and (former St Kilda player) Nicky Winmar, they're players and trail blazers."

Since Port joined the AFL in 1997, 13 indigenous players have represented the club.

This is the second-highest number in the AFL behind Fremantle (18) and equal with Essendon.

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