Before cries could echo from Kardinia Park over discovering another from the same bloodline turning heads in the Top End, Brandan Parfitt's actions spoke louder than words coming from Geelong recruiting staff.

On biggest day of the AFL calendar, the Nightcliff recruit was called up late to the Cats 2022 grand final side and in a flash slammed home a celebratory goal in front of the 100,024 crowd, not too far off the population of Darwin.

That moment stirred the passion of younger brother Calvin Peris-Chong ahead of footy's wet season, who five years before showed little interest in draft day.

There was a time the talented schoolboy appeared lost to the Sherrin. He dreamed of conquering football - but around the world.

"I was more obsessed with soccer – totally obsessed then," Peris-Chong told National Indigenous Times.

"That was really just my dream to be the next Cristiano Ronaldo one day."

Months after witnessing his older brother Parfitt achieve premiership glory at the highest level, the 15-year-old would debut for Nightcliff seniors and follow in the footsteps of his Larrakia and Warumungu sibling.

So impressive was Peris-Chong's NTFL premier league appearance, he earned a rising star nomination.

"I actually started off as a soccer player really young, but ever since he got drafted in 2016, I have sort have switched over more and more to footy," he said

"He's also the reason why I wanted to first play in the A grade (footy) as a 15-year-old because he also debuted as a 15-year-old.

"We always go back and forward a bit over who's been the better player at the same age – like, 'I did this or done that', but really, he's a good brother."

Peris-Chong said his big brother made sure he was not too nervous before his first seniors game.

"I called him straight after that training session, told him about my selection when he was in Geelong at the time when I was about to make my debut," he said.

"But in the warm-up, he walked through the GIO (Marrara) gates and when I saw him, I was so happy he was there."

That rookie game and a goal in a desperate Nightcliff win capped off a notable season that started in the club's under-16 side before starring in its under-18s.

That was it. Footy, rather than football, was here to stay.

But walking away from a spot in the Territory junior representative soccer squads and a pair of best and fairest competition awards leaves the prospect wondering what might have been.

"I still kick a soccer ball around a little bit," Peris-Chong says.

"At school, we like to muck around with the soccer ball. It's just a bit of fun there, but it reminds me what I loved."

While practicing his soccer tricks may still be a bit of fun, Peris-Chong is clearly under no illusions what hard work is in front of his future before the 2026 AFL draft.

Just observing Cats' preseasons, the midweek training sessions and Parfitt's offseason visits back home that is anything but a holiday has changed the thinking since turning out for the Territory under-12s at the national championships, aged just 10.

"I always saw how hard he has worked to get there – even in the offseason, he would come down to our training and just do all this running," Peris-Chong said.

"It's so crazy what you have to do to get that far. It's so different to our junior training and really any training up here.

"They split into groups like little separate training, and just how they train for seven hours in a day."

The lightly-built runner has taken to the gym to compete against bigger bodies, but is also keeping an eye on how his cousin's similar frame handles the rough and tumble.

It's that blistering pace of rookie Jack Peris – the son of past Olympic sprinters Daniel Batman and Nova Peris – that first caught the eye of St Kilda's scouts.

It's that point of difference about one having speed and the other having smarts that makes the pair ideal family role models.

"I wouldn't say I'm as fast as Jack – definitely I'm not that quick," he said.

"But I reckon I can handle myself pretty well for pace.

"It's good to have them both there because Jack plays a different position to Brandon, and I have a better understanding of small forwards and wingers, and how different midfielders play."