St Kilda's Next Generation Academy Diversity Squad members Anthony Colacino and Kulang Kulang have been selected in the 40-man squad for the AFL Victoria All Nations side.

Both Kulang and Colacino played in the NGA diversity exhibition game last week against Essendon at Windy Hill.

The side will be cut down to a 22-man team that will compete in the Under-16 AFL National Carnival.

Kulang is a Moorabbin Airport scholarship recipient, while Colacino is an emerging talent from the Saints’ North hub development program.

St Kilda Diversity and Community Football Coordinator Goy Lok was proud to see Kulang and Colacino's efforts be recognised. 

“It is an awesome achievement for Kulang and Anthony to have been selected in the 40-man squad,” Lok told saints.com.au.

“They’re both talented footballers and have worked extremely hard.

"It's a credit to them and also Trent Dennis-Lane (diversity squad coach) who has worked closely with the boys to ensure they get the best out of themselves."

Lok said the exhibition match and training sessions organised by Dennis-Lane were perfect opportunities to put their talent on display.

"The Moorabbin Airport sponsorship has allowed us to manage growing participants from an on-field and off-field development through the first half of the year.

"The Saints All Nations diversity squad was given the opportunity to showcase their abilities in an exhibition match against the Essendon Football Club.

"The group also completed two training sessions at RSEA Park heading into the game. The Moorabbin Airport Diversity Squad overall has been able provide to six players to progress to the next stage of the U16 AFL Victoria State program.

"Talented participants from diverse backgrounds were identified from a combination of community football, the Moorabbin Airport All Nations Schools Program, Athletic Combines in Secondary Schools in West Dandenong and of course the Moorabbin Airport Scholarship Program."

St Kilda's Moorabbin Airport Diversity Squad (under the umbrella of the club’s NGA supported by PURA) is an Under-16s side compromised of Indigenous and multicultural athletes designed to provide them with a pathway system to the elite AFL level.

“The diversity squad development programs are about nurturing natural talent and creating young leaders in the process with a strong cultural identity,” Lok said.

"The main goal for us is to identify young people with aspiration to transition them into pathway programs – whether that be community level or high performance sport.

“We are seeing guys like CJ (Changkuoth Jiath) playing footy for the Hawks, and he came through their diversity squad program, so the goal for us is to have one of our guys eventually find their way onto the AFL field.”

St Kilda's NGA Diversity Squad will next play against Melbourne in September.

Next Generation Academy Members in the 40-man squad: