Austin Wonaeamirri

[The Backyard Charizard 1,202]

A lot of people will have no bloody idea who "Aussie" Wonaeamirri is.....

I have seen him play for Norwood this year and I am excited at the fact that we got him on our list!

He reminds me of one "Flash" Davey.... Just needs to work a touch on his disposal....

Found this video floating around the net....

Take a look

A brief insight into "Aussie"

COMMENTATORS: Towards Wonaeamirri, now free on this side of the ground is Wonaemirri, to Wonaeamirri, has to fly from behind.

AUSTIN: My name is Austin Wonaeamirri, I come from an island off the coast of Darwin, from a small community called Milikapiti, that’s Melville Island Milikapiti. Everyone, mainly everyone calls it Snake Bay, so that’s where I grew up and played my footy there.

I’m eighteen turning nineteen, in two months. I think I started playing football when I was about five or six.

Because we live on the island we go to every grand final, you know just watching like all the like all the Tiwi island star players like the players, watching them.

JAMIE: Well Austin arrived here in January and took up an AFL traineeship which involves working with our development officer on a number of different things. Mainly about going out to local schools and conducting coaching clinics but also a little bit of administration and generally helping around the club. He’s been really well accepted and works very well.

AUSTIN: We just go out to schools like primary schools around the Norwood zone. Just teach them about the game and stuff. They really love it, they enjoy it and we enjoy it as well. It’s good to go out there and teach them and we rock up there and they say to me "oh", they just ask me "are you Aboriginal?", like all that stuff.

TREVOR: He’s embraced the whole culture of the club pretty quickly in a sense that he’s not only just a terrific player with exciting skills but he’s a, he’s very much a team man in every sense.

He’s already a cult figure, he’s earnt the respect very quickly of the playing group and all those who have come to know him.

I think he’s just a likeable young man with a fair bit of substance about him.

AUSTIN: It’s tougher down here, on the Islands when we play footy we just go out there and then just like run, kick to space, run in to the space.

It was pretty hard like to leave, to leave like the family back on the islands and like friends.

But then sometimes you just have to leave the island. You can’t stay there all your life.

I do miss my mates but if you’re going to play good footy it’s time to move on and make another friend then like when footy’s over you can go back to the islands and you still have your mates there.

Since I came down to Norwood, I didn’t really know them and it took me like three weeks, so I got to know them like on the training track and then like from there we’ve just been like mates.

TREVOR: Look he’s got an amazing turn of speed, but he’s also got a fair bit of poise attached to his movements.

He’s also a fantastic tackler of opposition players and I guess that’s where he’s earnt his spot.

He’s shown enough to us this year to suggest that he can go to that next level.

JAMIE: Aussie’s no doubt caught the eye of AFL scouts during this year. Just because of the way he plays, he’s exciting, he’s got some speed, he chases down players in the forward line and puts a lot of forward line pressure on, so the next step for Aussie we think will either be to be AFL drafted or at worst we think he’ll get rookie listed.

AUSTIN: It’s everyone’s dream like to play at the highest level and I’m just, hopefully if I’m doing everything right and probably I just want to try and make it to the highest level in football if I can, like try my hardest. Just going to challenge myself, see where my footy can take me.

COMMENTATOR: Drops it wide to Wonaeamirri, it’s going to be closed down by Poulton. Too much class there by Wonaeamirri, he’s away, he’s inside fifty. He could go all the way and he does. What a great finish, what a goal from the young man Wonaeamirri.

[beelzebub 23,313]

thanks KJ

that boy can run ...sheesh.. Between Aussie and Aaron evryone will be hearing footsteps.

probably no guessing who's the new house guest at the Davey's ?? lol

Definitely worth a few trips to TBO for him alone

[The Backyard Charizard 1,202]

He created himself a serious cult following here in Norwood! As "Flash" has at Melbourne.....

Great value for money! Is a cross between "Flash" and David Rodan.... Probably the best way I could describe him....

Didn't even know he was in the draft! But now that we have picked him up it is awesome!

The kid is a real rough diamond! Bailey and Co. will just have to shine him up a bit and lookout!!!

[Al`s DEMONS 0]

dont muck around, bring him on

[Whispering_Jack 29,769]

I don't want to brag here but I spotted young Austin playing for the Tiwi Islands Bombers a little over 12 months ago when ABC2 started showing their games on Saturday afternoons. Here's a story from the Sydney Morning Herald on the Tiwi Bombers - A team in big league kick-starts hope on troubled Tiwi islands.

For some strange reason the ABC does the first seven weeks of the season and then they revert ot their usual highbrow stuff like opera and the ballet after that. By me, I prefer seeing a game of footy ahead of hearing the fat lady singing or dancing but that's the ABC for you!

Austin looked sensational playing in that debut season for the Bombers but it was difficult to get a handle on whether many of these guys would be able to make the conversion from playing NTFL standard in 30 degree heat and 90% humidity to the professional game they play in the AFL. So he went off and played for Norwood and I caught him on ABC2 again when they showed SANFL games on Tuesday nights (?). Norwood are the Redlegs of SA, they wear the red and blue and Austin showed he was a real speedster with a fair dollop of skills. I'm a real devotee of NT footy - especially the Tiwi Islanders and I think he'll be something of a sensation down at TBO as he does his apprenticeship with the Zebras. Every year at this time, I tell myself to keep the lid on things so that's all from me for now.

[sylvinator 96]

dont muck around, bring him on

for a couple of season now we have really tried to focus on adding another small forward to help out davey and release davey into the midfield.

last year we picked up Weetra and Hayes but unfortunately Hayes has been delisted, and Weetra has been groomed as a small defender at sandy reserves, and doesn't look too promising imo.

this year we've picked up Wonaemirri and Maric. i reckon both these guyz could become great small forwards and davey can move up the ground in a year or 2.

[Jaded No More 68,867]

My dad and I just watched the video and the first thing dad said was "it's Aaron Davey!".

I'm most excited about his tackling, which from that short clip looks first rate. He's big, unlike Davey when he first started, so he can bring them down after he chases them too!

[dazzledavey36 54,236]

i already love him!! he is seriously worth going to TBO and watch him light it up. he is bloody quick thats for sure and i hope he adjust to the melbourne lifestyle and becomes the next davey!

hopefully he puts in a fair effort of a pre season and gets a go at the NAB cUP

GO DEES

[beelzebub 23,313]

you certainly get the impression from the vid that he has his head screwed on the right way... A marrvellous attitude !! A few others could do with such an inusion !!

[The Backyard Charizard 1,202]

The kid thrives on a challenge!

Didn't take him long to bust into the senior Norwood side and was quite regularly named in the best....

I have been trying to think of the last time I have been this excited about the Melbourne Football Club in December!?!?!

Bring on 2008.....2009.....2010....2011..... You guys can work out the rest

[sylvinator 96]

found this on bigfooty for those who want to know moer

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=361658

[Al`s DEMONS 0]

for a couple of season now we have really tried to focus on adding another small forward to help out davey and release davey into the midfield.

last year we picked up Weetra and Hayes but unfortunately Hayes has been delisted, and Weetra has been groomed as a small defender at sandy reserves, and doesn't look too promising imo.

this year we've picked up Wonaemirri and Maric. i reckon both these guyz could become great small forwards and davey can move up the ground in a year or 2.

would love to see him during NAB cup. tell the kid , we are going to give you x amount of game time, dont worry if you make a mistake just show us what you can do

[dazzledavey36 54,236]

i agree als demons! seriously this kid looks to have the right head screwed in! looks like a down to earth bloke aswell! looked at his facebook and his photos are funny just the way he described em lol.

needs to be seriously consided a look come NAB time. [censored] im gonna miss CAC!

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I wish him well at MFC.

But for FCS, he is an 18 yo from the bush and is only 78kgs so as a rookie he will be likely ot be honing the craft. building his physique and understanding AFL through a developmental phase.

Unless he does develop Aaronesque skills, at his current weight I could not see how MFC can possibly have 2 players (Davey being the other) who have limitations in the physical aspects of the game and have problems in competing with larger bodied players.

At present, Aaron Davey at his best is enough. Beside the odd cameo from time to time, Davey will be mostly forward line opportunist benefitting from a more competitive midfield with better feeds into the F50.

[brey9186 102]

TWINS BASIL!!!!!

[dazzledavey36 54,236]

I wish him well at MFC.

But for FCS, he is an 18 yo from the bush and is only 78kgs so as a rookie he will be likely ot be honing the craft. building his physique and understanding AFL through a developmental phase.

Unless he does develop Aaronesque skills, at his current weight I could not see how MFC can possibly have 2 players (Davey being the other) who have limitations in the physical aspects of the game and have problems in competing with larger bodied players.

At present, Aaron Davey at his best is enough. Beside the odd cameo from time to time, Davey will be mostly forward line opportunist benefitting from a more competitive midfield with better feeds into the F50.

do you ever think positive??

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

do you ever think positive??

I did not expect you to get it. Anyway enjoy the gushing.

[dazzledavey36 54,236]

i did get you and dont worry just reading through your post lately u just dont seem to be pleasured happily enough if you get wat im saying

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

After about three reads... :D

[mo64 5,853]

Rhino, the kid has already played a dozen games of senior SANFL footy, and his body shape is bordering on Ashley Sampi. I see no problems with playing him in the NAB cup.

[dazzledavey36 54,236]

all he needs is a tough hard pre season and h will be alrite. i remember alwyn being in the same boat and he has turned out a good shape

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Rhino, the kid has already played a dozen games of senior SANFL footy, and his body shape is bordering on Ashley Sampi. I see no problems with playing him in the NAB cup.

Sampi is 178 cm and 94 kgs

Aussie is 182 cm and 78kgs

Same body shape??? Go figure.

[timmy 29]

Could have got him the new shirt!

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2007/12/1...30_ntsport.html

[Jarka 767]

I wish him well at MFC.

But for FCS, he is an 18 yo from the bush and is only 78kgs so as a rookie he will be likely ot be honing the craft. building his physique and understanding AFL through a developmental phase.

Unless he does develop Aaronesque skills, at his current weight I could not see how MFC can possibly have 2 players (Davey being the other) who have limitations in the physical aspects of the game and have problems in competing with larger bodied players.

At present, Aaron Davey at his best is enough. Beside the odd cameo from time to time, Davey will be mostly forward line opportunist benefitting from a more competitive midfield with better feeds into the F50.

Last time I was in Norwood it didn't look like bush to me

[Mousey 47]

im very excited about this bloke!

Wish him all the best!