The AFL is pleased to announce the Geelong Cats and Port Adelaide are the two successful applicants of the AFL's First Nations Impact Fund.
The First Nations Impact Fund, launched in May 2026 as part of Sir Doug Nicholls Round, is a key initiative under the AFL First Nations Strategy and reinvests royalties from Sir Doug Nicholls Round merchandise into club-led initiatives that deliver outcomes for First Nations people and communities and contribute to long term growth and sustainability of First Nations engagement within the AFL.
The Geelong Cats and Port Adelaide will each receive $75,000 to support their nominated First Nations initiatives, with both clubs contributing co-investment alongside AFL funding.
Geelong Cats - Walking Together: Geelong Cats Top End Mentoring Program
The Geelong Cats will establish the Walking Together: Geelong Cats Top End Mentoring Program with the funding. A First Nations-led ambassador, mentoring and pathways initiative operating within the club's remote Northern Territory Next Generation Academy (NGA) zone, the program will see the club engage a group of First Nations past players in mentoring roles.
Funding will support the delivery of a program designed to build trusted local relationships, strengthen talent identification, enhance community engagement and provide mentoring activities for young people connected to the club's NGA zone in the Northern Territory.
Port Adelaide - SANFL First Nations Talent Pathway Fund
With junior SANFL talent pathway participation currently experiencing a generational decline, Port Adelaide will establish the SANFL First Nations Talent Pathway Fund.
The initiative will provide grants to four SANFL-aligned clubs to assist with travel and accommodation costs for targeted First Nations players participating in the SANFL Talent Pathway competitions across the Under-14, Under-16 and Under-18 age groups.
Funding will also support the appointment of a Project Officer to oversee each SANFL club as well as a First Nations Pathway Coordinator within Port Adelaide ‘s NGA. The coordinator will work closely with players and families, providing culturally informed support.
AFL's General Manager of First Nations Engagement and Inclusion Taryn Lee said:
"Geelong and Port Adelaide are proud of their rich First Nations histories. Both clubs continue to celebrate the significant contribution of First Nations players past and present, while creating opportunities for the next generation.
"Through their applications, both clubs demonstrated a strong commitment to delivering meaningful outcomes for First Nations people through culturally informed, club-led initiatives aligned to the AFL's First Nations Strategy.
"While these investments are specific to each club and their communities, the learnings and insights generated through these initiatives will be shared across the industry, ensuring the benefits extend beyond the individual projects and help inform future First Nations initiatives across footy.
"We are delighted to support these projects and the work of the clubs to build strong relationships that will increase the growth and participation of our future First Nations players."
Geelong Cats CEO Steve Hocking said:
"This funding gives us the opportunity to strengthen our connection with the Northern Territory through a First Nations-led program focused on mentoring, pathways and meaningful community engagement.
"We're excited about the opportunity this program will create for young people in remote communities to connect with mentors who understand their backgrounds and experiences, while also giving our past players an opportunity to connect with and support the next generation.
"As our NGA footprint has expanded, we have a responsibility to think about how we engage genuinely and consistently. This program will be an important part of building that ongoing relationship."
Port Adelaide Projects Officer and IDP Shaun Burgoyne said:
"We're very grateful to the AFL for backing this program through the First Nations Impact Fund. This investment highlights that the AFL and Port Adelaide are aligned in our thinking. First Nations talent hasn't gone away and that with the right support we can open the door again for young First Nations players right across South Australia," Burgoyne said.
"This investment helps remove the barriers of travel, accommodation and connection that can prevent talented First Nations kids from having an opportunity to progress from their communities into the SANFL talent pathway. Through our NGA Program and working with our aligned SANFL clubs, we'll put real support around players and their families, so the next generation can focus on playing footy, being part of an SANFL Club and ultimately chasing their AFL and AFLW dreams.
"Port Adelaide's relationship with First Nations communities goes back generations, from the Port to the Eyre Peninsula and beyond. That trust is something we never take for granted and this program builds on it by bringing our aligned SANFL clubs into those relationships, so the connection lasts well beyond this funding.
"I know what this pathway can do because I've personally lived it. When I came through Port Adelaide's junior programs in the late 1990s, there were up to 15 First Nations players in our SANFL junior teams and that was the norm. That's where we need to get back to and as a game we should be aiming higher than where we are now. This funding is a big step towards that."
