Lindsay Thomas has opened up about the challenges he faced as a teenager and the sacrifices he had to make in order to become an AFL player.

Speaking at the Kangaroos’ Young Indigenous Program at The Huddle, the 26-year-old took time out of his busy pre-season training schedule to share his personal story with the young participants.

The 24 members of the session, aged between eight and 14, come from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities across the Hume region of Victoria.

As part of his role as player ambassador, Thomas gave the kids some meaningful advice.

“The main message I want to give to you kids today is if you want to do something in life, people are going to tell you you’re not going to get there, but if they ever say that to you, you just use that as motivation like I did,” Thomas told the attendees last week.

The program aims to build leadership qualities and empower all those participating to initiate change in their communities.

The 180cm goalsneak later told NMFC.com.au he relishes devoting his spare time to helping those from Indigenous backgrounds and is intent on making a positive and lasting difference.

“I love giving back to the community. I’ve been at North Melbourne for nine years now and it’s something I’ll continue to do,” he said.

“I’m proud of my culture and my background so I’m forever thankful to the club for allowing me to be able to do something that I love.

“My role is to be a mentor for the kids and to get their confidence levels up and have a yarn about their upbringing, sport or school, and build relationships with them.”

In his speech to the kids, Thomas spoke candidly about his experiences growing up “rough” in the South Australian town of Port Lincoln and how he was pressured into making the wrong decisions.

The Indigenous star later reiterated the importance of education and encouraged the youngsters to create goals and strive toward them.

“A lot of these kids come from broken down homes, their parents are non-existent or are alcohol or drug-affected, so to be able to set goals and be able to set their minds on anything is important,” he said.

After Thomas shared his experiences and advice, the attendees were asked to set their own personal goals for the year.

The kids recorded each of their objectives in front of a video camera and their personal journey will be captured through a short documentary.

The session ended with a barbeque lunch and a kick-to-kick with Thomas on the Arden Street Oval.

The Kangaroos’ Young Indigenous Program runs over four sessions and will end in July.