Sydney Swans stars Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin helped launch the AFL Indigenous Academy in Blacktown in Sydney’s west on Wednesday afternoon.

While football plays an important role in the program, the focus of the academy is to teach the participants to make wise choices.

"At the end of the day, we're not looking for the next Adam Goodeses in these programs,” said the dual Brownlow medalist.

“We're looking to get participation levels at schools higher, getting these kids choosing to eat better foods when they go to the school canteen, and those sorts of things.”

“It’s about making the right choices.  That’s what we’re trying to educate these kids about: making the right choices.”

“The great thing is that they’re learning about the sport at the same time they are and getting all these other benefits.”

Goodes spoke about igniting change throughout a whole community, starting with the participants, then extending to their families and beyond.

“If we can start to imprint on one person, then it starts to imprint on their brothers and sisters, it then imprints on the family, and then we're starting to see change as a community. That’s the sort of learning outcome we’re looking for in these programs.”

“We’ve got thirty kids today, and in three years time they want to it up to be up to two hundred.  If those are the sort of numbers they want to achieve, they’re really getting into the communities of Blacktown and Campbelltown and really helping these kids make healthy choices.”

Blacktown is the site of a major development project, supported by the AFL, which will include a 10 000 seat stadium due to be finished in early 2009.

“It’ll be massive,” said Goodes.  “For the community, for the kids who are involved and their families.” 

“We’re involving everyone, not just the kids being babysat by us, we’re actually involving whole families and the community.”