INAUGURAL Fremantle coach Gerard Neesham says the Dockers are poised to make a powerful statement about Aboriginal representation in the AFL, with more than one-quarter of next year’s senior list indigenous.

The Dockers are in line to set a new record for the most Aboriginal players fielded in a match when they host Geelong in Round 1 next season, beating their own mark of seven in one team.

Fremantle now has 10 indigenous players on its senior list, following the additions of Broome product Joel Hamling and Bradley Hill, the younger brother of Stephen, during the trade period.

The Dockers, who have kept close tabs on WA under-18 guns Sam Petrevski-Seton and Sam Powell-Pepper, could add to their strong indigenous contingent in next month’s national draft.

Neesham, who runs the Clontarf Foundation which uses footy to try to improve the lives of young Aboriginal men, said the Dockers had a platform to send a compelling message and overturn traditional thinking.

“I’m very proud of the club. It’s a great statement. This is just an exceptionally large number which is incredible,’’ Neesham said.

“This is a culmination of a lot of work. A heap of work has gone in over a long, long period of time to make these two sports (the AFL and NRL) a destination at least in the mind of young Aboriginal boys.

“There was a lot of talk of how difficult Aboriginal players were to manage, to settle in and it probably was very hard for the blokes to go from WA to Victoria to live and move away from family.

“In the early days that would have been a reasonable perception, that it would be a risk taking an Aboriginal player.

“Now I think there’s a lot less risk. These guys are professional, they look after themselves.

“What you’re seeing from all the players — whether they’re Aboriginal or not — is a higher level of professionalism and they’re getting paid a heck of a lot of money to do it.’’

Fremantle has generally had a strong Aboriginal presence since Neesham put the first squad together in 1994.

Camera Icon Fremantle currently has 10 Aboriginal players on its list after recruiting Bradley Hill (pictured) and Joel Hamling during the trade period. Credit: News Corp Australia, Marie Nirme

The Dockers could set a new record in their season-opener, with the Hill brothers, Hamling, Michael Walters, Harley Bennell, Michael Johnson, Alex Pearce, Danyle Pearce and Shane Yarran all considered first-choice players.

Johnson, Yarran and Hamling came through Clontarf programs.

“It’s a fantastic group of footballers, that’s what I’m more excited about,’’ Neesham said.

“All of those names are wonderfully exciting players and hopefully they can stay fit, because as a group, if those blokes stayed fit they would really add enormously to Fremantle when you put in (Aaron) Sandilands and (Nat) Fyfe and the other players.

“There’s been a nature of circumstance about it, but I think the fact is that Fremantle since its inception has had a ... great relationship and openness to have Aboriginal players.’’

The Dockers fielded seven indigenous players — Des Headland, Jeff Farmer, Antoni Grover, Troy Cook, Roger Hayden, Steven Koops and Dion Woods — in six games under Chris Connolly in 2003. That record was equalled by Port Adelaide in 2015.

Indigenous people are estimated to make up 3.75% of WA’s population, and 3% nationally.