Last year, a Melbourne school and VFL/AFL champions worked to donate 200 pairs of footy boots to young players in central Australia with a program working to build communities through people, harnessing sport.

A car load is due to arrive in Atitjere, 200km north-east of Alice Springs, on Tuesday when Redtails Pinktails Right Tracks makes the drive up.

The group runs programs from drug and alcohol education, health and employment support to coaching a skills development in sport through involvement with clubs all across the region, alongside their own.

At the end of the southern state's school football season, with plenty of boots already stockpiled, the call went out to collect as many as possible across the Scotch community.

A handful of pairs have already arrived in Harts Range.

The drive came about in partnership with FIFTHQTR Foundation, a non-profit mental health organisation supporting past AFL and AFLW players co-founded by Carlton champion Ken Hunter.

Alice-based physician, Scotch Old Boy and FIFTHQTR head of medical and research Peter Wirth said an email from the school's Old Boy network first prompted the idea.

He suggested efforts to raise scholarship funds for a few could be redirected for wider impact.

"One of the things that came up is, in my experience, there's such a passion for sport up in Central Australia that's a great way to affect change, and I had told them about this group that I've been introduced to (Redtails Pinktails)," Dr Wirth told National Indigenous Times.

Dion Whitfield was Scotch College's first Indigenous school captain in the private boys school's 170-plus year history in 2023.

Scotch currently offers 12 full-time scholarships to Indigenous students dating back to 2004.

The school also engages in a partnership with Tiwi College.

In May, Scotch raised $1.1 million within 24 hours to perpetually endow the Goolagong Cawley First Nations Scholarship.

Now working at the school as an academic tutor and mentor for First Nations students, Mr Whitfield says while he first took the reins for the idea at the school, it was others who went and ran with it.

"It was really led by the year 11 First Nations boys. It was about rallying the school community..and giving back to the community," he told National Indigenous Times.

Former Saint and Brisbane Bear Gilbert McAdam told a school assembly what the effort could mean for those receiving the boots.

Mr Whitfield said what might be taken for granted - something easily accessible with a trip to the shops before training starts up, can be more than just "a piece of leather and lace..this is about giving people the opportunity...to support their dreams".

Rob Clarke heads Redtails Pinktails, and has seen those kinds of dreams become a reality for some in the program.

The Central Australian Aboriginal Congress and Central Australian Football Club partnership reaches an estimated number of people in the thousands, in one form or another, he said.

In recent years a number have gone on to opportunities and trials with SANFL clubs.

Though, Mr Clarke says it's not just about sport.

"(It's) to engage people into mainstream society, using footy and other sports as a tool to do so, and build the person," he said, with programs open to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people wanting to engage.

"The idea is to not be separate, to be inclusive and everyone to help each other get better," he said.

Their Rusted Gems program - restoring old cars for Red CentreNATS auto festival, is one example of initiatives leading to employment, Mr Clarke said, with a number taking up jobs in garages.

"It's very diversified, it's all inclusive, any idea is not a bad idea. It's just basically getting people up and about structuring their lives," he said of the broader program.

"It's a well-rounded holistic approach to issues we have in remote regions."

While footy remains a big part, there's hopes the partnership with Scotch and FIFTHQTR grows.

"We're hoping that somehow, whether it's through Scotch again or other schools, we can continue to do this. I think that as past players, we'd like to give back to the community in whatever way we can, and I think this is a good platform for us to do that," Mr Hunter told National Indigenous Times.

Mr Whitfield added "the hope for us is that this is just the starting point", with potential to expand past just footy boots in an ongoing relationship.