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Strong ancestry a push for Indigenous AFL hopeful

Melbourne Grammar student Nathan Drummond is eligible to be drafted to the AFL next month and if his ancestors are any indication, the teenager will summon what's needed to realise his dream.

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2 min read

Published

Updated

By Luke Waters

Source: SBS


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The talented 18-year-old said he had been playing football since childhood and hoped to reach a professional level.

"[I’m] really passionate about my footy. I’ve played since I was about four years old. It’s something that has been my dream since a young age," he said.

Nathan’s strong resolve and talent on the field could be genetic traits.

His paternal great-grandfather Tommy Drummond captained Collingwood in the 1920s and his maternal great-grandfather William Cooper was an esteemed Aboriginal leader who led a march against Nazi attacks on the Jews.

Nathan’s Indigenous heritage is not immediately obvious, given his light features, but he said he was unphased by the attention.

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"When I tell people I’m Indigenous the first thing that comes to their mind is that I’m not," he said.

"I don't look as much as probably my brother or my sister and my mum so it's something that kids don't believe when they first see me but as long as I know that I am that's all that matters I think." 

An ankle injury in his draft year prevented Nathan from showing his wares in front of the talent scouts for eight crucial weeks.

But Victoria Country Football boss Leon Harris said he was a strong contender.

"His footy capabilities are that his TAC testing at the start of the year was in the top five per cent in every category," Mr Harris said.

"There's no doubting that given time I think he'll find his way on to an AFL list."

For more: Watch the full report.


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