Three talented young Queenslanders are touring South Africa for two weeks as part of the Flying Boomerangs.
Stand out performance in the 2012 Kickstart Mational Championships earned Cairns Tigers’ Heath Molloy and Sherwood Magpies’ Aaron Yusia and John Mason their place in the squad.
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 from the 2012 AFL KickStart Under-15 Championships, the Flying Boomerangs squad of 25 players will play two matches against South African teams in Potchefstroom and Durban, coached by former St Kilda player Raphael Clarke.
The Boomerangs will also conduct a footyWILD clinic in Cape Town township, visit Table Mountain and Robben Island where former South Africa President Nelson Mandela was imprisoned in 1964 for 18 years before being moved to another prison.
AFL National Community Engagement Manager Jason Mifsud and AFL Indigenous Programs Coordinator Xavier Clarke are attending the tour.
“This is a great opportunity for these talented young men to develop on and off the field,” said Mr. Mifsud.
“The Flying Boomerangs squad is made up of the best rising Indigenous talent in the nation and they will be given the chance to represent their country and showcase Australia’s game in South Africa when they play two exhibition matches against local teams.
“Throughout the tour the players will be exposed to elite training, as well as many cultural experiences which will be focussed on addressing the four core pillars of the program; Resilience, Identity, Decision Making and Communication.
“The tour to South Africa is a significant event in the Boomerangs’ program as it focusses on personal development and leadership, helping the participants to develop into confident young men and leaders in their community.”
