An invasion is happening at the Cats.
Whilst once Geelong sides were full of Western District dairymen, Geelong sheep farmers and grease palmed Ford workers the Cats are now made up by a majority of men who grew up outside of Australia’s best state.
In 2015, the Cats playing list is made up of 21 Victorians, 24 from Australia’s other states and one Irishman.
Amazingly, 13 of those interstaters are from South Australia. This year at the national and rookie drafts, Stephen Wells called out the names of no less than three South Australians from the club's total crop of six players. And the Cats also traded in a South Australian, Rhys Stanley, which offset the trading out of another South Australian, Travis Varcoe.
The Cats are also well represented by West Australians. Five Cats have made the trip across the Nullarbor to Simonds Stadium.
Nakia Cockatoo, selected with the Cats first pick in the 2014 draft, brought the number of Northern Territorians to three at the club, pushing them one ahead of the number of Tasmanians who pull on the hoops.
Tommy Hawkins is the Cats one and only New South Welshman and the playing list is completed by the Cats only international player Padraig Lucey from Ireland.
No longer is the Cats list littered with former Geelong Falcons with just six playing for the region’s TAC Cup side. Billie Smedts, Jimmy Bartel, Darcy Lang, Jed Bews, Josh Walker and Cam Delaney are the only players who give the Cats side a local flavour.
But before we get too worried about the number of locals playing for the Cats, rest assured that the dozen or so potential father-son recruits expected from 2024 to 2030 should arrest this trend.
Cats by state
Victoria
Billie Smedts
Jimmy Bartel
James Kelly
Darcy Lang
Sam Blease
Tom Lonergan
Joel Selwood
Dawson Simpson
Hamish McIntosh
Josh Cowan
Steve Johnson
Josh Caddy
Jed Bews
Cam Guthrie
Nathan Vardy
Jordan Cunico
Josh Walker
Michael Luxford
James Toohey
Cam Delaney
Mark Blicavs
South Australia
Rhys Stanley
Andrew Mackie
Lincoln McCarthy
Daniel Menzel
Dean Gore
Jordan Murdoch
Jared Rivers
Cory Gregson
George Horlin-Smith
Brad Hartman
Tom Read
Zac Bates
Corey Enright
Western Australia
Harry Taylor
Mitch Clark
Mitch Duncan
Jarrad Jansen
Shane Kersten
Northern Territory
Nakia Cockatoo
Mathew Stokes
Steven Motlop
Tasmania
Jake Kolodjashnij
Jackson Thurlow
New South Wales
Tom Hawkins
Ireland
Padraig Lucey
