MICHAEL O'BRIEN is Yartapuulti (Port Adelaide) through and through.

A senior Aboriginal man of the Kaurna peoples, O’Brien grew up in the region, donned the Magpies guernsey 66 times in the SANFL, and coached alongside Club greats including Stephen Williams.

Years later, O’Brien is back – this time, to take the faithful on a cultural journey as the face of Port Adelaide’s Welcome to Country.

Filmed at Alberton and Tarntanyangga (Adelaide Oval), the video will be launched before tonight’s Round 4 clash with reigning premiers Melbourne.

"To be welcomed to a place, whether you’re Aboriginal or not, is very important because it gives you a sense of connection to the land you’re on,’’ O’Brien said.

"It isn’t just about acknowledging the Aboriginal people; it’s valuing everyone that come to this place.

"I hope that people feel that, but also they gain a sense of belonging and see they are part of our culture too, and that this ground - and the game - is special.’’

O’Brien’s Welcome to Country depicts the evolution of parntu, once played by the Kaurna people with a possum skin ball, on Tarnta Wama (Kangaroo Plains), where Adelaide Oval now stands.

"Understanding our connections to places enriches us but also allows us to be connected as one, and that’s what our game is all about - it brings people together from all walks of life, because it’s something we all share,’’ he said.

O’Brien believes a Welcome to Country can elevate an Aboriginal player’s game day experience and sense of cultural pride.

"Seeing your mob present a Welcome to Country as a Kaurna person playing football on Kaurna land, would certainly be very special, knowing you weren’t just running on the oval as a Port Adelaide player, but as an Aboriginal person whose culture is the oldest living and continuous culture in the world,’’ he said.

Born at Mudlhangga (the nose of the Lefevre Peninsula), O’Brien was awarded life membership of the Port Adelaide Football Club in 1999.

"I played in an era when the club was at its peak and had so many great champions, and getting a game was tough,’’ O’Brien said

"But your journey’s never over at Port Adelaide, even when you stop playing, so to be able to come back and be part of it again from a cultural perspective is wonderful.’’