KEVIN Sheedy's world exploration for new talent may land him a 22-year-old giant from Ethiopia. Goaner Tutlan, a refugee who has been in Australia for four years, has been training with Essendon's development squad for the past six weeks and may be named as a rookie next month.
Although he picked up a footy for the first time just six weeks ago, and is desperately shy of skill, his athletic ability has wowed Bombers staff.
A former player in the Ethiopian National Basketball League, Tutlan has broken the club's 20m sprint record, the agility test record and the vertical leap record.
At 196cm and just 76kg, he has taught himself to kick and handball.
"It's really, really hard unless you work hard for it," Tutlan said.
"I just want to give it a go. I just want to start in the seconds and work my way up."
Tutlan has been invited to train with the Bombers leading up to Christmas, with Sheedy contemplating naming him as an international rookie-listed player in December.
― chrisso (chrisso), Friday, 12 November 2004 09:12 (twenty-one years ago)
Who was that American college kid who Essendon invited over about 10 years ago? He had a Mr T haircut, and a name very much like 'Lance Armstrong'. He was absolutely clueless in the seconds the game I saw him in, which would have been his first or second, but as I recall it he improved fast and was close to a senior spot by mid-year, but then he got an invitation to Yale or somewhere back home and that was that.
― Fred Nerk (Fred Nerk), Friday, 12 November 2004 11:31 (twenty-one years ago)
Just have to hope that the guy is not being exploited for some other reason.
― Westener (Westener), Saturday, 13 November 2004 12:33 (twenty-one years ago)
― Lucy Lion (Lucy Lion), Sunday, 14 November 2004 06:39 (twenty-one years ago)
He may be worth a punt, Westy.
― chrisso (chrisso), Sunday, 14 November 2004 11:00 (twenty-one years ago)
If we can get a bunch of Ethiopians, then Japanese, then whoever, to follow the game in THEIR longerooms, we just may be on the way to getting the game seen overseas as it should.....the best in the world.
Mind you, because of Peter Bell, we already have the Korean market sown up and every Yarpie in Sth Africa follows Essendon and Cupido. North Africa next, then the world
― Westener (Westener), Sunday, 14 November 2004 12:26 (twenty-one years ago)
regards,
REB
― Rik E Boy (Rik E Boy), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 02:49 (twenty-one years ago)
Coming soon: Don Aid?
Apparently a character that looks (and smells) very much like Bob Geldof has been seen around Windy Hill a lot lately...
― Fred Nerk (Fred Nerk), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 03:26 (twenty-one years ago)
― Lucy Lion (Lucy Lion), Tuesday, 16 November 2004 08:08 (twenty-one years ago)