The iconic Australian rock band, headed by Killarney singer songwriter Shane Howard, took to the MCG stage on Saturday as part of the half-time entertainment performing Solid Rock to a capacity crowd.

Howard and band members Rose Bygrave, Marcia Howard and Graham Davidge were joined by First Nations performers Christine Anu, Emma Donovan, Tasman Keith and William Barton in a poignant and moving display.

"It was an uplifting experience," Howard said. "We were there to represent the song and give voice to First Nations people."

Some of the words to Solid Rock were translated and performed in traditional Indigenous language.

Howard said the day was a celebration but also a reminder of long-held generational hurt the nation's Indigenous people continued to bear.

"I think we all feel we were there today to encourage the country to come on this journey, to go a little further and dig a little bit deeper," Howard told The Standard on Saturday.

"It's not enough to pay lip service. We have to dig deep and really examine our colonial history in this era of truth telling and the healing times.

"We have to examine our souls as a nation and our conscience. We can't sweep this under the rug anymore."

Goanna, formerly The Goanna Band, emerged from Geelong during Australian rock's golden age in the 1980s and helped forge a new national identity.

Before Midnight Oil and Paul Kelly addressed similar issues, the iconic Solid Rock stoked a fire for Indigenous rights that hasn't gone out, while the latter anthem Let The Franklin Flow was a call to arms for the emerging environmental movement.

Solid Rock quickly reached number one nationally and remained in the top 50 for 26 weeks. The debut album Spirit Of Place followed shortly after.

This year marks 40 years since the multi-platinum debut album Spirit of Place was released and to celebrate the anniversary Goanna is touring the nation.

"We're travelling around Australia for our 40^th anniversary tour," Howard said. "We meet up with our Aboriginal brothers and sisters and they're still hurting.

"They're so damaged from the generational hurt of having your whole identity, culture, country, everything stolen from you and they're such generous people.

"We have to try harder. It's not enough to dismiss it and say 'it's not my problem'. It's all of our problem.

"We have come a long way as a nation but these incidents (of alleged mistreatment of First Nations AFL footballers) that have come to light in the last week remind us we have a way to go."

A nationwide television audience of millions watched as Goanna and Friends played alongside Australian musicians G Flip, The Temper Trap featuring Budjerah and Ngaiire and The Australian Girls Choir.

The band is midway through its 40^th anniversary tour which began near Cairns, Queensland in late June and concludes in Adelaide, South Australia in November.

The Goanna tour returns to the south-west next month with two performances at Warrnambool's Lighthouse Theatre on October 27 and 28.

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