For a town of 22,000 people, Mt Isa has punched above its weight when it comes to producing sporting talent. 

Greg Norman, Pat Rafter and Simon Black were all born in the mining town.

Courtenay Dempsey also spent the early years of his life there before he moved to Cairns.

Like many young Australians his weekends were filled with sport.

Athletics, rugby league and later Aussie Rules ensured he was kept active and his parents were kept busy.

“It was very full on for my parents but they enjoyed it, they had something to do on the weekend and I enjoyed it because I loved sports – and I suppose I was good at it too,” he said.

“I played rugby league before I played AFL.  I didn’t know anything about AFL until I stumbled across it one weekend.”

Dempsey was a natural.

He played for the Manunda Hawks and Morningside before the Bombers drafted him in 2005.

Injuries interrupted the early part of his career, but when he did get out on the park, his form was eye-catching.

Between 2012 and 2013 he played 34 games and averaged 18 disposals in his most productive and consistent period as an Essendon player.

He was one of several Indigenous stars becoming central figures in the Essendon line-up.

Nathan Lovett-Murray was the leader, Paddy Ryder the talented ruckman and Alwyn Davey and Leroy Jetta were the pressure forwards - as Dempsey offered pace and creativity from defence.

But a combination of retirements, list decisions and trades saw Dempsey quickly become the senior Indigenous figure on the Club’s list.

Late last year, he joined two of his younger teammates, Shaun Edwards and Jake Long, as they travelled to the Northern Territory to visit a number of Indigenous communities.

Club staff joined them and together the group spent time in Darwin, the Tiwi Islands and Wadeye – a remote community 400 kilometres south west of Darwin.

“It was a real eye opener for a lot of the other people that came along on the trip,” Dempsey said. 

“All you hear is the negativity about the culture, the fighting – through the media.

“But when you go in there, it just shows you how much football changes everything.  You think 'where is all the fighting?'  You don’t see any of that.

“They do look up to us and admire us as footballers, whether its first year players or players that have been playing for 20 years like Dustin Fletcher.

“It just shows how much football brings people together.  It’s just amazing how football does that.”

And it’s not just the children that look up to Dempsey. 

When Yestin Eades was asked earlier this week which Indigenous leader he looks up to, he said Courtenay Dempsey. 

It was further confirmation of the important leadership position the veteran of 122 games now holds and it’s a position not lost on Dempsey.