Tiwi Islands-born Long, aged 49, has been described as a football icon who made a stand against racism during his career, and as an advocate for reconciliation.

Long complained when abused on the football field in the first Anzac Day match in 1995, which led to the AFL adopting a racial abuse code.

Since retiring as an Essendon footballer in 2001, he has become a spokesman for Indigenous Australians.

He wrote an angry letter criticising the Howard Government for denying the stolen generation, saying both his parents were forcibly separated from their own families as children.

In November 2004 he began walking from Melbourne to Canberra with the aim of obtaining a meeting with then Prime Minister John Howard to get Aboriginal issues on the national agenda.

Mr Howard agreed to a meeting following media coverage of what has become known since as The Long Walk, leading to the creation of a charity foundation to promote reconciliation..

The walk is now marked with a walk to the MCG before the annual Dreamtime at the 'G football match, which Long missed for the first time last year due to a serious illness.

Today the Michael Long Learning and Leadership centre in Darwin provides accommodation, education, football and other sporting and corporate facilities, especially for indigenous people.

His former club Essendon once officially ranked him among their 25 greatest players ever.

His decorated 190-game career included two premierships and the Norm Smith Medal for best on ground in the 1993 grand final.

Australian Associated Press