THE DEADLINE for applications has been extended to Friday May 10.

North Melbourne star forward Lindsay Thomas is not only in great form on the field, he's also making a difference off it by mentoring young Indigenous boys and girls.

The Blackwoods Indigenous Academy is now open for registrations and Thomas is heavily involved once again. The 25-year old says he loves being a part of the program because it helps him develop his own leadership skills and confidence.

"The Academy is a really great way for young Indigenous kids to work on lots of different things, not just their footy skills," Thomas told NMFC.com.au.

"We focus a lot on the importance of good character, commitment to school and education and the importance of leadership. Talking to these kids and acting as a bit of a mentor to them has also given me confidence as I want to help make a difference in their journey."

A pivotal part in developing the program, Thomas says it has been incredibly rewarding to see what some of the past participants have achieved since being involved.

"Some kids need encouraging with their footy and sport. They can lose interest or get a bit discouraged but through the program we've seen kids go on and get more involved in their local footy clubs and find that self-belief again which I know for me is really important," Thomas said.

Barry Hoare, National Marketing Manager at Blackwoods is thrilled to be involved in helping reward and inspire young Indigenous footballers.

“We are delighted to have the Indigenous Academy feature the Blackwoods brand name, as we are that Geva Mentor and Lindsay Thomas have agreed to provide leadership and guidance to those selected to participate as we look forward to supporting the program throughout 2013” Hoare said.

"Being a Premier Partner of North Melbourne, for Blackwoods, understanding, sharing and building relationships and in creating opportunities is an important part of our Reconciliation Action Plan, and the Indigenous Academy provides a fantastic opportunity to build on our successful program."

The Indigenous Academy runs in partnership with AFL Victoria and the Melbourne Vixens to engage, reward and inspire young Indigenous footballers and netballers with mentoring and coaching from Thomas and Melbourne Vixen Geva Mentor.

Open to Indigenous boys (AFL only) and girls (AFL and netball) aged 11-14 years, the academy is looking for young people who have the potential to become leaders in their communities, schools or local sporting clubs and are interested in growing and developing their unique individual skills.

In addition to an intensive program at Aegis Park over three days from July 2nd - 4th, the participants will also attend North Melbourne and Melbourne Vixens games, receive follow up mentoring from Thomas and an exclusive session for community coaches delivered by North's coaching staff.

The Academy will be officially launched during the Kangaroos match in Indigenous round - North Melbourne v Adelaide on Sunday May 26th at 3.15 pm, Etihad Stadium.

For an application form click here.

For more information, please email Sarah Bourke at sarah.bourke@kangaroos.com.au  or call 03 9320 2475. Applications close April 30th.