The new Greater Western Sydney AFL franchise has secured the signatures of two of the Northern Territory’s brightest young talents.
Thunder U18’s players Curtly Hampton and Shaun Edwards have been contracted to the new club for 3 years which will give them an opportunity to spend a development year in Sydney in 2011 before Team GWS enters the AFL in 2012.
Hampton and Edwards, both 17 this year have had different pathways to the AFL.
Curtly, a product of the Pioneer Football Club in Alice Springs was a sublime young talent who has represented the NT Thunder as a 15 year old and captained the Thunder U16’s in 2009. He currently studies at Immanuel College in Adelaide and has twice been a member of the exclusive AIS/AFL Academy program.
Shaun’s rise to prominence was a little more low key as he has boarded at Melbourne Grammar School for the past 3 years and plays for Saint Marys in the NTFL. He first represented the Thunder last year in the U16’s. From his performances at the Championships he was invited to attend a special talent camp at the AIS and has been in solid form for the Thunder U18’s in 2010. The
AFL Northern Territory and the Northern Territory Football Club wish Curtly and Shaun all the best in their quest to play in the AFL.