For first-year player Luke Davies-Uniacke, the importance of learning and honouring Australia's Indigenous history is twofold.

“We have a bunch of Indigenous boys on the team and it’s really important to learn about their culture and make sure that they feel like they belong,” he told North media.

“Indigenous history is a massive part of our culture in Australia and knowing that Indigenous people have been in this area for thousands of years and acknowledging the contributions that they have made, and continue to make, is really important.”

Davies-Uniacke, along with Tristan Xerri, Billy Hartung, Alex Morgan, Tom Murphy, Will Walker, Gordon Narrier and Kyron Hayden took part in a three-hour cultural walk along the Birrarung, otherwise known as the Yarra River, marking National Reconciliation Week.

Although they’d visited one of Australia’s most iconic sporting sites, the MCG, dozens of times, they didn’t know one of the greatest historic landmarks lay just metres away.

Not just any tree, The Scar Tree is hundreds of years old, bearing scars from when the Indigenous people removed the bark to make canoes, shields, containers and other items.

The Scar Tree marked the last stop on the walk, hosted by the Koorie Heritage Trust, which encompassed learnings about art, tools, games, history, and culture. 

The cultural walk is aimed at providing participants with a better understanding of the Indigenous history and culture, which is more than 60,000 years-old.