Port Adelaide has again teamed up with the South Australian Aboriginal Sports Training Academy to run the Aboriginal AFL Academy.
Aboriginal teenagers came from all over Australia for the start of the program at Alberton Oval on Wednesday morning, with this year's program again focussing not only on developing footy skills but on education outcomes.
Academy players coming to the club for full days of training and study and to stay in the team, they are required to maintain at least a C-average grade at their schools.
In 2014, 27 of the 30 participants received their SACE certificate with the assistance of the program.
Port Adelaide's Aboriginal programs manager Paul Vandenbergh said after a successful start last year, the program has expanded in 2015 with the Academy squad increasing from 30 to 32 players.
“There were some opportunities there so we though we’d add some more kids to the program,” Vandenbergh told portadelaidefc.com.au.
The dual goal of developing their footy skills and their education is core to the program's success.
“Hopefully we can help develop them on and off the field,” Paul said.
Port Adelaide stays in contact with players' schools for the duration of the program to ensure they continue to meet in-school expectations and uphold the Academy's team values outside of the football environment.
The squad met on Wednesday to begin their study and training under the guidance of Port Adelaide's own Aboriginal stars Jarman Impey, Nathan Krakouer, Brendon Ah Chee and new recruit Patrick Ryder.
They will meet once a week at the club for the rest of the year with the Power hoping to give the team the full 'league experience.'
“Hopefully they’ll get to see what it really does take to play AFL football.”Vandenbergh said.
It’s Jarman Impey’s first year helping out with the team and he hopes to teach them a few things about elite football.
When asked if he wished he had something like this when he was younger, the speedy second-year recruit said he would have jumped at the opportunity.
“Yeah definitely. [It would have been] a great insight,” Impey said.
It’s also Ah Chee’s first time being involved with the program and says he loves the effort the club is making to foster future Indigenous talent.
“I remember my first season, there were only three Indigenous boys,” he said.
“The club has worked in leaps and bounds to increase that.”
The Aboriginal AFL Academy will again be coached and supervised by former Port Adelaide SANFL player Eugene Warrior.
