For many 20-year-olds, the dream of an AFL career can revolve around the fame and lifestyle that comes with the career, for Anthony Tipungwuti, the opportunity an AFL career could provide would help serve a greater purpose.

Fresh off signing a new contract with Essendon’s VFL team for the 2014 season, the Tipungwuti story is one that transcends football.

Born and raised in the Tiwi Islands, Tipungwuti made the decision three years ago that he wanted to commit to the AFL dream, making the long journey to the country town of Longwarry in Victoria, about an hour east of Melbourne.

“I was at Tiwi College and that’s when I met my Mum down here [in Victoria], she was my squad coach up there [in the Tiwi Islands],” Tipungwuti said.

“One day, I said to her that I want to come down to Melbourne to have a look.

“She took us to our school to have a look and I said that I really wanted to come to [the] school.”

It was during his time at Longwarry that Tipungwuti first discovered his love for community work while completing a certificate in sport.

“I did work experience with [a] school as part of my sports degree, so I was working half a day and half a day of school,” he said.

“I said to myself ‘this is what I want, I want to work with kids’.”

Playing his way through the TAC Cup with the Gippsland Power in 2012, Tipungwuti missed out on his AFL dream when no clubs elected to pick up the half-back/midfielder.

Not to be deterred, Tipungwuti started to seek out a VFL club to continue his journey, where his path eventually led him to Essendon after a meeting with senior recruiting officer Merv Keane.

“I decided to train at Casey and it didn’t work for me there, that’s when I had a meeting with Merve and told him I would come down after Christmas for training, which I enjoyed and felt comfortable with the boys.”

Determined to continue his community work, Tipungwuti approached Essendon’s VFL operations manager, Matthew Little, when he first arrived at the club about how he can continue to his community work.

“I asked Matt when I signed up if he had a job for me [working with children] and it all started from there.

Tipungwuti then started work as part of the ‘Multicultural Schools Program’, an initiative co-delivered by the Essendon Football Club and the AFL to help teach kids in Melbourne’s northwest about football and theory.

Nervous to begin with, Tipungwuti developed a fondness for the role after receiving some advice from the club’s Multicultural Development Officer, Salim Mahazi.

“The first couple of weeks I was out of range and nervous [about] standing up and talking to kids, then I got a bit of advice from Salim that it’s just kids and just to talk more and get involved,” he said.

“It’s what I want to do and it’s what I love, just working with kids and give to them through sport and give them good advice about sport and school.”

Tipungwuti hopes he can one day be a role model for others in his community, sharing his experiences with others to help them reach their goals.

“When I finish my career down here, I can go back and share my stories and tell people it’s not hard to do,” he said.

For now though, the dream of an AFL career still burns deep in Tipungwuti, as he enters his second year with Essendon’s VFL team.

“The dream still going, I’m just going to keep going, train hard and hopefully one day it happens.”

Join the Bomber army today as we strive for 60,000 members in 2014.

Don't drop the ball when it comes to your career. You could become a Personal Trainer with Dyson Heppell, Mark Baguley, Tayte Pears and Michael Hibberd at Australian Institute of Fitness. Contact the Institute on 1300 669 669 or visit www.fitness.edu.au.