WHEN you ask Sam Lane about AFLW Pride Round, the award-winning journalist’s face lights up.

You get a sense of joy, progress, appreciation, and well, pride.

“It’s one of the things I love most,” she said on the Lil and Ben podcast.

“We’d need a series of podcasts or a very long time to talk about all the things I love about AFLW and why it makes me feel like I’m in my happiest place in footy.

“Pride Round is just one of them.”

This weekend will see the first competition wide celebration, where each of the 14 clubs will engage in various initiatives to mark the occasion.

There will be lots of colour, with rainbow flags for goal umpires and vibrant on-ground markings, while difference and diversity will be embraced.

But for Lane, the origins of women’s football are deeper than this.

“To call it a round is almost to trivialise it, because it’s not just a one match or two matches or how many matches we’re theming movement; it’s a general foundation of AFL Women’s,” she said.

“What I find is that the natural starting point for it is: come one, come all, everyone is welcome, and in fact, any difference you have is embraced.”

And while this weekend will champion equality, it too will generate conversations.

“It’s something that I think AFL Men’s could really look and learn from,” Lane said.

“I don’t doubt that Men’s wants to; it’s just that the culture of Men’s has been so much more homogeneous and a conformist culture.

“If you were asking me to give a Pride Round wish, I wish that the entire AFL – AFL everyone – was more like that.”

Melbourne will host Richmond at Casey Fields as part of Pride Round, with both teams wearing rainbow socks to add to the celebration. The game is set to start at 5.10pm.