RAIDERS star Blake Austin has revealed how winning a Footy Show competition helped his family out of housing commission when he was a youngster.

Austin grew up living in housing commission residences in the western Sydney suburb of Doonside.

His parents were unable to afford a deposit on their own house, until their nine-year-old son discovered a pot of gold.

Austin won Channel Nine’s The Footy Show segment “league of their own”, for which the prize was a brand new Holden Jackaroo.

Round 19

This stroke of luck led to his family buying their first home.

Blake Austin in action for Canberra. Source: News Corp Australia

“We lived in housing commission until I was 12,” Austin told The Locker Room podcast.

“I didn’t have a rough upbringing. I had great parents. They didn’t have much money but no money was spared for sport.

“I actually won a car on The Footy Show at nine (years old).

“It was a Holden Jackaroo and mum and dad sold that and we got out of housing commission and they bought a house in Mount Druitt.

“Mum and dad would never have come across the cash for a house deposit — (selling the car) that allowed us (to buy a house).

"We lived in housing commission until we were 12. I had great parents they didn't have much money but they spared it for... Posted by The Locker Room on Sunday, 24 January 2016

“It definitely wasn’t a flash house in Mount Druitt but being Aussie parents it was definitely one of their goals to own a house and we were able to do that.”

Austin has never forgotten his Doonside roots, and continues to work with junior rugby league players from the area.