The team partake in a footy clinic in Ernabella. Image: Brooke Bowering.

Day three – and what an absolute day it's been. I'm exhausted but so pumped after everything we experienced today.

We left Umuwa at 11am for the short 20-minute drive to Ernabella, where we had our biggest workshop yet – 70 students aged from 4 right up to 17. The venue was pretty special too. We assembled at the local footy oval, and I have to say, this wasn't like any footy oval I've ever seen before.

Sure, it had goalposts at each end, but there was barely a blade of grass on it. It was basically a dirt track. But you know what? The locals absolutely love it. They don't know any different and they embrace every opportunity to play footy, no matter what the surface is like. That really hit me – just their pure love for the game.

Myself, Jase and Josh ran clinics with all the kids, and their passion for footy was incredible. Some of their skills were seriously amazing too. At the end we played a half-ground game with me on one team and Jase on the other. Daniel Norton was our field umpire and Josh took on goal umpiring duties. It was so much fun and you could just see how much the kids loved every minute of it.

Jason Horne-Francis and Jase Francis each captained a team in the clinic. Image: Brooke Bowering.

After our Santos Aboriginal Power Cup workshop, we headed back to base camp at Umuwa for a rest and dinner. But the day was far from over.

At 6pm we drove back to Ernabella for their annual Dance Festival, and honestly, this was the highlight of our entire trip so far. The festival brings together all the schools from the APY Lands for this incredible celebration of culture and expression. Every single school put so much effort into their performances – you could see how much it meant to them.

The annual Ernabella dance festival. Image: Brooke Bowering.

Indulkana were judged the winners with this fantastic performance about protecting our environment from rubbish and litter. It was such a powerful message delivered through their dancing and storytelling.

But what really got to me was seeing all the families there – from newborns right through to great-grandparents – watching the children perform with such pride. There's something so beautiful about seeing that connection between generations and the way culture gets passed down.

Jason Horne-Francis says the Dance Festival is the highlight of the trip so far. Image: Brooke Bowering.

Tomorrow is day four and we're saying goodbye to our base at Umuwa for the last time. We'll visit Ernabella one more time in the morning, then it's a 170km trip to Indulkana – I'm sure they'll still be buzzing from winning the Dance Festival! After that, it's the big 480km drive back to where it all started at Uluru.

Another special day ahead for sure.

JHF