FOR THE best part of two decades, young footballers from Far North Queensland have made the long trek north to the tip of the Cape York peninsula for a tournament that's about more than just a game.

About 120 youngsters from Cape York, Cairns and the Torres Strait Islands take part in the Chris Johnson and Angie Nadredre Cup each year in Bamaga, a town about 40km from the northernmost point of mainland Australia.

Brisbane's triple-premiership champion Johnson travels each year to the tournament that bears his name, along with that of respected community leader Nadredre, and has seen first-hand the power of sport to strengthen culture, leadership, education and community connection.

>> Watch Chris Johnson and the students' journey to Cape York in Cairns to the Tip below

"Football's able to give us that vehicle to teach leadership, culture and respect and responsibility to these young people," Johnson said.

"If we can build them down at the AFL Cape York House and build them up to be leaders to come back and be leaders within their community, I think we've done a great job."

AFL Cape York staff member Luana Healey took part in the tournament when she was still at high school about 10 years ago. Now, she's involved in the annual road trip by helping to shepherd dozens of students up to Bamaga each year.

"I was fortunate enough to come up with my high school team and competed in the cup, and Angie was still around and a part of the trip," Healey said.

"To still be here, you know, 10 to 12 years later as a mentor, as a staff member, experiencing it, obviously, in a different realm, it's quite special."

The students and staff spend time exploring the spectacular Cape York landscape en route to Bamaga, where football takes centre stage in a joyous exhibition of the sport at its best.

This year's trip north also incorporated the AFL's First Nations Ahead of the Game program, which adapts the existing principles of Movember's Ahead of the Game program to embed Indigenous ways of knowing, being and learning, and centres cultural strengths and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.

The students spent time around the campfire, sharing their experiences and feelings with one another in a discussion led by AFL facilitator Nioka Tyson and featuring open and honest contributions from Johnson.

"We don't get a lot of opportunity as blackfellas to really sit around in predominantly Indigenous spaces and talk about the things that make us feel connected and feel strong in such an authentic and unique way," Tyson said. 

Johnson said showing his own vulnerability was a key part of helping young people develop the tools to ensure good mental health, even when life throws up challenges.

"What we need to do as role models, [even] if we've had a successful career, we have had times where we struggle," he said.

"I feel if we can't stand and tell people what we do when we're struggling, well, how do the young people know how to do it?" Johnson said.

It's a demanding but rewarding trip and one that Johnson is committed to doing each year – both for the young players, and himself.

"Being able to guide these kids through these last few days is pretty special. I feel it's almost like a second home," Johnson said.

"The people at AFL Cape York, they're almost a second family to me. And I'll keep coming up here as long as the program keeps going.

"I guess the feeling that I get is being connected back to country. That's one thing that you love as an Aboriginal person is being connected. It doesn't matter whether it's your own country or someone else's country."