The Cats' Next Gen Academy program is already benefitting grassroots clubs in the Greater Geelong region.
A number of young men who were introduced to footy via the academy have begun playing for Anglesea in the Bellarine league.
Their footballing journey was detailed in a Herald Sun article written by Anglesea's most famous export, Patrick Dangerfield.
READ: A NEXT GEN ACADEMY EXPLAINER
It’s 6pm on Thursday night at the Anglesea Football Club and the seven kids sitting around the table are all smiling.
They do that a lot. There is more smiling than talking given English isn’t their first language.
Two are from Thailand, two from Congo with the others coming from South Sudan, Kenya and Afghanistan.
They’re all members of Anglesea’s Under 18 team.
When asked what it means to them to be sitting here in the Kangaroos’ clubrooms, the answer is the same.
“It feels like home,” Andrew says.
He is Congolese who came to Australia via Malawi last year and found his way to North Geelong.
“When I first arrived I would spend all day in the house and didn’t have a single friend,” he said. “This is my family now.”
Geelong's Next Gen Academy is overseen by Paul Hood, who also coaches' the Cats' women's team.
“It’s a pathway program to get kids interested in footy, to get them to understand a little bit more about AFL, and also to get them to develop some skills and confidence," Hood explained.
"So if they feel like they want to go and play at a local club then they are equipped to do so."
