FORMER West Coast favourite David Wirrpanda was never the type of footballer who was going to slink away quietly after he retired at the end of the 2009 season.

A premiership player with the Eagles who played 227 games and earned All Australian honours in 2005, Wirrpanda is one of the game's most respected indigenous players, and he holds a special place in West Coast hearts.

But the Victorian had a higher calling, with the David Wirrpanda Foundation pulling him away from the game as a 30-year-old, and consuming him - along with family life - in the years since his retirement.

As the AFL celebrates Indigenous Round this week, Wirrpanda's foundation, which was launched in 2005, is preparing to take its reach to the east coast.

"My whole dream was to get back to Victoria and provide the services that need to be provided for young Koori kids all around Victoria and assist with organisations that are already doing these programs," Wirrpanda said this week. 

"When I first retired I was keen to sink my teeth into expanding the foundation. I retired a lot earlier than I planned because I see this as a massive passion of mine, and it's growing.

"I really wanted to get behind it, develop it and fast track it."

The foundation, which has grown from humble beginnings to have 18 full-time and 18 part-time staff, aims to improve young indigenous Australians' quality of life by offering them strong role models and promoting healthy life choices.

With a team of dedicated mentors, there is focus on increasing school retention rates for indigenous Australians and improving their career prospects after school by encouraging further study and positive career paths.

Wirrpanda, who plans to stay in WA with his young family through the foundation's expansion, has moved from mentoring and into the financial side of operations, with a focus on gaining corporate and government support.

However, he has received a helping hand from young Eagles Josh Hill, Gerrick Weedon and Brad Dick, who are working with the foundation one day a week, as well as former West Coast rookie and Richmond player Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls, who is employed full-time.

"He's really taken the opportunity to develop himself in the roles that he has at the foundation, and he's just a completely different bloke," Wirrpanda said of Oakley-Nicholls, who was delisted by the Eagles at the end of last season.

"He's really confident now and he's qualified to deliver sexual health and drug and alcohol [programs], so he's really come out of his shell. We're really proud of him at the foundation."

Hill crossed to West Coast this season after five years with the Western Bulldogs, and he is flourishing on-field and off-field, with his work at the foundation preparing him for life outside of football.

The 23-year-old has been a key to the Eagles' undermanned forward line this season, booting 16 goals, and he is making an impact as an indigenous mentor away from the game. 

"I go to the foundation every Tuesday and spend the afternoon with the students there," Hill said. "They've been good welcoming me in.

"I haven't really talked about it much, but hopefully one day I could start my own one up at the end of my footy career if things go well.

"I want to give back to a lot of people off-field. I know I've got a lot of family that have a few problems that I'd like to help out with."

In the coming months, the foundation will achieve another milestone, with the official launch of its Victorian office.

To celebrate this historic event, the foundation will host a luncheon at the MCG Members’ Dining Room on Friday, June 22, coinciding with West Coast’s clash with Collingwood the following day.

Hosted by actor and comedian Peter Rowsthorn, this event will include special guests and entertainment, as well as gourmet food and premium beverages in the perfect prelude to this blockbuster match.

Join Wirrpanda and other foundation role models for this special occasion and reserve your tickets to the luncheon today.

Nathan Schmook is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nathan