In attendance at Shaun Burgoyne's surprise event earlier this week, Gilbert McAdam says it was incredibly special to be a part of. 

To celebrate Burgoyne becoming the Indigenous games record holder this week, 24 players past and present met at the MCG to surprise the four-time premiership superstar.

McAdam said he was looking around in awe at what was such a beautiful moment.  

"I was just looking around saying, 'Have a look at this, how good is this!'," McAdam told SEN on Wednesday. 

"You get tingles being there."

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McAdam, who played 111 games with St Kilda and the Brisbane Bears, said Burgoyne was an incredibly motivating figure throughout the Indigenous community.

"Having all the younger kids there, Benny Long and Matty Parker, imagine those young kids and what it felt like for them.

"When I was playing that wouldn't have happened, there just wasn't enough indigenous players going around.

"So, for the younger kids to see that and experience all that, it must inspire them.

"It's got to be an inspiration for them looking at what Shaun's done."