St Kilda has held a joint workshop between the AMC Indigenous Scholarship holders and the Moorabbin Airport All-Nations participants as the club continues to grow the game throughout the south.

Hosted at the Danny Frawley Centre, the workshop allowed members to chat about footy and celebrate the diversity of both programs.

St Kilda’s Indigenous Development Manager, Aunty Katrina Amon, said the workshop was a good opportunity to bring the students together.

“The students had not done a joint workshop before so we thought it would be a good idea. The main topic of conversation was how their football was going,” Aunty Katrina said.

“The students are also from a wide variety of schools, so having the groups together was a celebration of diversity.”

The workshop is one of many initiatives steered by the club, which allowed students to meet former students Jack Peris and Josiah Kyle, who had been signed to the Saints, and form the guard of honour for the club’s clash with Fremantle this season.

These opportunities have been important for participants in creating a sense of community around the club.

“This workshop was one that was important to all the students which was another reason we got them together. In both groups there are some outstanding leaders, and they were very proactive in the session," Aunty Katrina said.

“An example of cultural leadership was Kendyn Brown who played the didgeridoo to commence the event, and it was fantastic to be a part of.

"These things, such as the workshop and the guard of honour are important because they create cohesiveness in the group but more importantly a connection to the St Kilda Football Club.”

During the guard of honour, students were also able to welcome Marcus Windhager, a former member of the AMC Indigenous Scholarship program who was awarded a NAB Rising Star nomination in Round 22.

Aunty Katrina said it was good for students to see what Windhager had achieved so far and what that could mean for them.

 “Marcus is a very impressive young man who has worked hard in all aspects of his life - football, education and relationships," she said.

“This (Rising Star) nomination shows all the participants that anything is possible. They need to set goals and work hard to achieve them, but more importantly, have a dream and make sure you dream big.”

AMC spokesperson Sharmini Masilamani said the success of former graduates such as Windhager showed the growth of the program and what students could achieve.

“As a company we have been celebrating the achievement of Marcus,” Masilamani said.

“It gives us a tremendous impetus to continue with more initiatives towards supporting this partnership. It sets a great example for the new scholars to believe they can reach the goals.

“The scholarship is not a hand-out. It is an empowerment program.”