A record 280 Indigenous students – half of them girls – took part in the McLeod Challenge at the Adelaide Football Club on Friday.

Now in its fourth year, the McLeod Challenge is an integral part of the Crows' Indigenous programs led by Club legend Andrew McLeod and his wife Rachael.

It incorporates a nine-a-side round robin football competition for Year 8 and 9 students, facilitating teamwork, fair play and leadership skills.

The event has attracted strong numbers since its inception, but this year saw approximately 100 more students sign up – with the increase attributed to the growing number of girls interested in playing football.

Andrew McLeod said it was fantastic to have so many kids attend.

“Many of the kids today have just finished NAPLAN so they’ve got some energy to expel,” he said.

“We’ve probably got an increase of about 100 kids and that growth has pretty much all come from the girls which is great.

“In the past we’ve been able to draw out maybe 30 or 40 girls if we’re lucky but today we have about 130 or 140 girls as part of it so that’s quite exciting for us and I think that’s on the back of what the AFL Women’s Competition has been able to do.

“The success of the AFLW and the engagement through community has certainly made it easier for us to attract girls – so much so that moving forward we might have to run separate boys and girls Carnivals, which is really great.

“The day brings schools together and provides an opportunity for kids to create new friendships. From a football perspective, there’s teamwork and leadership on show.

“It also allows us to build greater relationships with the schools and the kids to see if they may benefit from any of our other programs.”

Teams once again competed for the opportunity to play the curtain-raiser game on Adelaide Oval prior to the Crows’ AFL Indigenous Round clash against Fremantle on Saturday, May 27.

In the boys division a combined team from Wiltja Secondary Collage and Woodville High School, together with the team from Rostrevor College and Wirreanda High School won the chance to play off at Adelaide Oval.

While in the girls division a combined team from Roma Mitchell Secondary College and Henley High School will go up against Ocean View College.

Led by Andrew and Rachael McLeod as well as project officers Eddie Hocking and Josh Wittwer, the Crows have a suite of Indigenous programs including the Youth Leadership Program, the Ready Set Crow Program, the Future Leaders Program and the McLeod Challenge.

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 capacity to achieve their goals.

Click here to find out more about the Club’s Indigenous Programs.