Young Indigenous talent took centre stage at the Adelaide Football Club’s training base today with the McLeod Challenge featuring more than 250 students from across Adelaide.

The McLeod Challenge, in its 3^rd year, is part of the AFC’s Indigenous programs led by Adelaide Crows and AFL Hall of Fame inductee Andrew McLeod and wife Rachael.

The McLeod Challenge is designed to provide a 9-a-side round robin competition for year 8 and 9 students, facilitating teamwork, fair play and leadership skills as part of an identification process for the Beach Energy Indigenous Youth Leadership Program.

Adelaide Crows players Eddie Betts, Cam Ellis-Yolmen, Brodie Smith, Anthony Wilson and Charlie Cameron were all on hand to watch the talent on display.

The grand final of the McLeod Challenge will be played as the curtain raiser game on Adelaide Oval prior to the Adelaide Football Club’s AFL Indigenous round clash against Fremantle Football Club on Saturday, May 30.

In the boys division Salisbury High School and Henley High School won the chance to play off at Adelaide Oval.

In the girls division Westminster School will go up against Le Fevre High School.

The 23 teams that took part today were from the following schools: Fremont Elizabeth City High School, Henley High School, Immanuel College, Le Fevre High School, Mannum Community College, Meningie Area School, Modbury High School, Ocean View College, Para Hills High School, Roma Mitchell Secondary School, Sacred Heart College, Salisbury High School, Seaton High School, St Michaels College, Westminster School, Wiltja Residential, Windsor Gardens Vocational College, Wirreanda Secondary School, Reynella East and Woodville High School.

The Adelaide Football Club, in partnership with the McLeods, have developed three key Indigenous programs to allow Indigenous youth access to similar opportunities Crows great McLeod experienced during his career.

The programs use sport and mentoring to engage and educate Indigenous youths, providing them with the experience, skills and knowledge required to seek independence, self-determination and the individual capacity to achieve their goals.

The McLeod Challenge, Beach Energy Indigenous Youth Leadership Program, and the Future Leaders Program are unique in that they focus on continued mentoring of participants from across South Australia.