Surf Coast sensations Ollie Dempsey and Georgie Prespakis arrived at the Cattery around the same time, and have carved out niches for themselves in the Cats' AFL and AFLW sides, respectively.
Dempsey concedes that being in his fourth season with the club "feels a bit weird", but is proud of his progression under the vaunted coaching of Chris Scott.
"I've progressed every year. I've kept working on the little things, doing what the coaches have said, and I feel like I'm getting better each week," said Dempsey.
"I came in as a forward and have progressed to the wing. I don't know where they want to play me (in the future) - I can play a few different positions, and I want to add midfield to that bow.
"We'll see what happens in the next few years. For now, I'll just lock down that wing role, and play it a bit different to most. Definitely enjoying it, and the license I have.
"I didn't play a lot in my first couple of years, and just was developing a lot in the VFL, and got my shot last year. He's (Chris Scott) really backed me in. (I play) sort of this different role that you see a bit more across the competition now, which is pretty cool.
"He's very smart and a very good coach, obviously. I love playing under him, and hopefully will for a few more years."
Dempsey's role as a scoreboard-impacting winger propelled him to the Rising Star Award last season, and the Carey product is relishing the challenge that now comes with opposition attention.
"There's a bit more of a plan for the way I play because it is so different, but I'm enjoying that challenge," he said.
Speaking following a surprisingly tense clash with Essendon, which the Cats eventually won by 44 points, Dempsey praised the challenge the Bombers presented.
"We got challenged, which was actually a bit of a good thing for us. There's a bit of our game we're trying to polish before finals."
Dempsey made no secret of his premiership aspirations, having watched the Cats' 2022 AFL Grand Final triumph from the stands. His side's recent form has made a maiden flag for the 22-year-old a distinct possibility.
"That's always the goal. I think we're in a great spot… we're sitting here in red hot form, so we'll see how we go this week, but (we're) definitely hungry for that (a premiership)."
The Cats' AFL team: Ready to tackle the season opener
The Cats' AFLW team begin their campaign this weekend against the reigning premiers, North Melbourne, in Geelong. Star midfielder Georgie Prespakis is full of anticipation for the new season and this early test.
"We feel quite lucky to play them first up, and challenge ourselves," Prespakis said.
"The comp continues to evolve each year. I'm sure how they (North Melbourne) play will be very different to how they played last year."
Prespakis is conscious of North Melbourne's defensive set-up, insisting her side "need to be wary of dump kicks" in what will be a territory-focused, wet game of football.
It's been a blessed start to life as an AFLW footballer for Prespakis, who has featured in the 22under22 side twice, and the All-Australian side once, in four seasons in the hoops.
Team success has somewhat eluded her, with only one finals win thus far in her AFLW career. She says the team are confident of going further this campaign.
"We know that our best football stands amongst the best in the competition," said Prespakis. "It's just a matter of doing it consistently. In such a short season, you can't afford to drop too many games or sit at a low for too long."
The Calder Cannons product has enjoyed a healthy run through pre-season, having come into the Cats' last campaign encumbered by a quad injury.
"(It was a) bit of a race against the clock for Round 1 last year, but my body feels great, and it's nice that we've got a healthy list," she said.
Tom Atkins, a crucial part of the men's team's midfield, has taken on a development role with the women's team's engine room, and Prespakis spoke glowingly of his impact in that space.
"He's been great," said Prespakis.
"He's quite a defensive mid. At the start, he came in and said, 'Can you just stop slashing through at every single centre bounce and stoppage?' and I was just like, ‘Absolutely not', so we clashed heads early on.
"He's certainly given me a lot of knowledge on how to play off the body, and add that layer to my game, which has been great and quite noticeable out on the track.
"He's been incredibly great for us as a midfield. He's a pretty simple guy, so he's very straight to the point, which we all like," she said.
A greater depth of viable midfield options has allowed Prespakis to inch forward this pre-season, with a focus on added scoring prowess to her game.
The club is hopeful of a big turnout when the women's season begins this Saturday, with the men playing away the next day in Sydney.
