DARREN MONCRIEFF
Thursday 15 December 2011
WHAT passes for footy ovals on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands will be a far cry from the lush, green, carpet-like surfaces Amos Frank will soon be treading.
Frank (pictured) will move to Melbourne after AFL club Hawthorn picked him up at Tuesday's pre-season and rookie draft; the Hawks taking a punt on the 22-year-old traditional man.
Frank was earlier this year invited by SANFL Woodville-West Torrens to train and he played a handful of game's for the premier team's reserves.
It was during his brief stint with the Eagles that Frank caught the eye of AFL scouts. He has now become the first man from the APY Lands to join an AFL club.
Frank was one of seven selections on Tuesday, and brings the number to 13 for the draft this year.
Three players were given lifelines on Tuesday -- Brad Dick (Collingwood) returns to WA to join West Coast, Malcolm Lynch (Western Bulldogs) remains in Melbourne to join North Melbourne and Anthony Long is back at Essendon.
West Coast selected two home-grown products; the Eagles' other selection was Geraldton's Callum Papertalk.
Alice Springs' Gibson Turner is another from remote Australia selected on Tuesday and he will join Richmond.
And Northern Territorian Jordan Wilson-King will head west to Fremantle.
The rookie draft selections
#33 Callum Papertalk (WCE)
#34 Amos Frank (Hawthorn)
#46 Malcolm Lynch (North Melbourne)
#60 Gibson Turner (Richmond)
#61 Jordan Wilson-King (Fremantle)
#68 Brad Dick (WCE)
#85 Anthony Long (Essendon)
AboriginalFootball@westnet.com.au
Last Modified on 15/12/2011 15:47