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He's only 16, but boy can he play
When you see AFL talent scouts and player football managers watching a game of school footy involving boys who will not be old enough to be recruited for another 18 months, it usually means one thing - a youngster with super talents is playing. Which was precisely the scenario at Melbourne Grammar yesterday when word got out about a certain 16-year-old Aboriginal boy from Western Australia who not only has outstanding talent but is also 192 centimetres (6ft 4in in the old) tall (and still growing) and can run 100 metres in under 11 seconds to boot.
Clinton Benjamin is his name and he turned out for his school, Perth's Hale school, just a few days after returning home with the rest of the team which represented Australia in the under-17 international rules series in Ireland. Now, both his Australian Institute of Sport coach Alan McConnell and his school coach Brian Clarkson were careful not to single Benjamin out at the risk of being unfair to his teammates, but others who have been watching his progress say he has the hallmarks of being a future superstar.
Clinton Benjamin, a 16 year old from Broome playing for Hale against Melbourne Grammar.
Photo:Vince Caligiuri
Described by McConnell as a one-touch player, not only is he a high flyer (as he showed in this photograph from yesterday's game) and can he play back or forward but, because of his speed and athleticism, he is already an eye-catcher. "He was going on 70-metre searing runs in Ireland with opponents chasing him the whole way," said McConnell. AFL talent manager Kevin Sheehan is another who has has been impressed by the teenager. "He has got the tools you want to see on the AFL playing fields," said the usually conservative Sheehan. "With good management, good coaching and with the kid keeping it all together, we look forward to seeing him appear on the MCG or Subiaco."
Others to impress in Ireland were another 16-year-old Aboriginal from Western Australia, Leroy Jetta, Scott Gumbleton, also from Perth, and Bendigo's Joel Selwood, brother of the twins Troy (Brisbane Lions) and Adam (West Coast), who began their AFL careers this year. Indeed, one of the highlights of the Irish tour, from Western Australia's perspective, anyway, is that 10 of the 30 boys who toured are all home-grown WA boys, a sure sign that the state that has produced only a handful of drafted players in the past few years might be about to turn things around. "It represents a terrific group - WA is basically back on track," said Sheehan.
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I know it is often hard to say, unless we're talking about a Murphy or Gibbs, but is your gut-feeling that he will be a longterm player at the club?
) good authority that Clint won't be playing in the Ants practice match this Sunday and needs another week of full training before he is ready to go.
Looked great standing at the players race today, mucking about with Eddie...hopefully he can stay fit and crack it for a game next week.
Good support between teammates, a real sense of pride for the club and for each other.
Great to hear that Gilly!
Do you get the feeling we are going to be witnessing something special down at carlton over the next few years? Not talkign about wins only, i'm talking about a wonderful place to be
Wow it gives me goosebumps.
Have it on (hopefully
)
), that Clint's quad is right to go and he should be playing for the Ants this weekend. Well worth the admission price i would say
Thought I would bump my buddy back to the first page. Any of you looking for extra incentive to get along to the Bullants game this Saturday, I have it on good authority (thanks to my good authority
