Three members of the Queenslander KickStart team have been named in the 2013 Flying Boomerangs squad which will compete at the NAB AFL Under 16 Championships in July and tour internationally in December.
Outstanding performances from Kobe Broome (Coomera Magpies), Lenny Christie (Wilston-Grange Gorillas) and John Pupanagmirri (Northern Rivers Storm) at the National KickStart Championships in May secured their place in the final squad.
The Flying Boomerangs squad will be coached by Eugene Warrior, former Port Adelaide (SANFL) player who currently coaches the Division One Salisbury North Football Club.
The Flying Boomerangs is a personal development and leadership program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young men aged 14 -15 years-old, supported by the Coles AFL Indigenous Program.
Selected by the AFL’s Chris Johnson from the 2013 National KickStart Under-15 Championships held in Townsville, the squad of 25 young Indigenous men has been chosen based on football talent and leadership skills.
Jason Mifsud, AFL Head of Diversity, said the Flying Boomerangs program is a great opportunity for the best rising Indigenous talent in the nation to develop on and off the field.
“The Flying Boomerangs will be exposed to elite training and coaching, as well as personal development opportunities during the NAB AFL Under 16 Championships (July 6 – 13) and the international high performance camp.
“We are extremely excited by the appointment of Eugene Warrior as coach of the 2013 squad.
“Eugene is part of the AFL’s Indigenous Coaching Academy and his pathway to head coach of the Boomerangs is a strong example of the support and development opportunities that the Academy creates for rising Indigenous coaches.
2013 Flying Boomerangs squad:
Shai Bolton (Perth, WA), Kobe Broome (Brisbane South East, QLD), Lenny Christie (Kedron, Brisbane, QLD), Ezekiel Frank (Darwin, NT), Antionne Forrest-Yarran (Perth, WA), Denver Garlett (Perth, WA), John Garlett (Perth, WA), Jamie Hampton (Alice Springs, NT), Callum Harrison (Launceston, TAS), Dion Johnson (Warrnambool, VIC), Jordan Jeffery (Darwin, NT), Kym LeBois (Adelaide, SA), Keiran Martin (Alice Springs, NT), Liam Nelson (Surf Beach, NSW), Tommy Nickels (Northam, WA), Sam Powell-Pepper (Perth, WA), John Pupangamirri (Mullumbimby, QLD), Corey Raymond (Lajamanu, NT), Jy Simpkin (Shepparton, VIC), Kyle Thomas (Reservoir, VIC), Calvin Thorne (Mandra, WA), Samual Walsh-Bannam (Mill Town, VIC), Keenan Waterbury (Katherine, NT), Mathew Wilkes (Perth, WA), Anthony Young (Newborough, VIC)
