Outside of his love for footy, Lindsay Thomas is passionate about helping others; in particular people from Indigenous backgrounds.

The 26-year old small forward is committed to using his influence as an AFL player to reach out and encourage young people to realise their dreams and goals, no matter what adversity might stand in their way.

This week Thomas caught up with a group of nine young students who travelled across the country from Tjuntjuntjara to visit the North Melbourne Football Club and hear about his experiences.

Tjuntjuntjara is considered to be one of the most remote communities in Australia. It is located in the Great Victoria Desert of Western Australia close to the border with South Australia, north of the Nullarbor Plain and 680km north-east of Kalgoorlie.

The population of Tjuntjuntjara is between 80-150 residents and the main language spoken is Pitjantjatjarra followed by English.

“It was great meeting the kids and teachers from Tjuntjuntjara. It’s a pretty good experience for them to go on a big trip like this,” Thomas said.

Thomas spoke to the children about his journey to becoming an AFL player at North Melbourne and how challenging it was for him to leave his family and friends behind in South Australia.

“It’s important for the young kids to know their dreams can come true if they work hard. They can be whatever they want to if they set their mind on it,” Thomas said.   

“They live a long way away from a major city, so this sort of trip is a real adventure for them. To come down to visit a professional footy club is great and hopefully they got a lot out of today’s experience and their time in Melbourne.”

The group of Indigenous students from Tjuntjuntjara Remote Community School are being hosted by Firbank Grammar School in Sandringham for the week-long educational trip to Melbourne.

The Tjuntjuntjara students will also get to see the Roos take on Melbourne at Etihad Stadium this Saturday night.