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2013 LA Combine set for April

  • Thursday, March 07 2013 @ 11:26 am ACDT
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North America

The second official AFL USA combine will be moved up to April this year. Last year's combine in LA took place at the end of August and left a short space of time between the combine and the time for the graduates of the combine to come to the Australian national combine held in Melbourne in the first week of October. This year's earlier time will allow those given the opportunity to come to Australia in October to brush up on the game and their skills.

As usual the international athletes are available for clubs to sign up on an international scholarship immediately rather than wait until the athlete goes throught the Australian combine if they like what they see in April. As with last year there is expected to be college athletes (and recently graduated) from baskeball, gridiron and soccer put through their paces in LA once again.

Former Seattle University basketballer Eric Wallace was the ultimate success story of last year's combine being given an International rookie spot with North Melbourne. Wallace features in this year's updated recruitment video on Youtube that can be seen below. While most of the promo is the same content as last year Wallace has replace the delisted Shae McNamara as the US face of the combine video.

[youtube:4a8Hgq29TV0]

It would be a great thing for the USAFL if they could also get some of the athletes tested and selected for the Australian combine playing in the US this season, and perhaps identify some potential Revolution players as they head towards the 2014 International Cup.

The USA Revolution, the men's national Australian Rules Football team, will be holding their own training camp this weekend, March 9-10 in Los Angeles. The camp is designed to prepare and select players to play Canada in the 49th Parallel Cup on August 3 in Edmonton, Canada. The camp is also part of the ongoing preparation for the 2014 AFL International Cup.

Coach of the Sacramento Suns, Matt Bishop, is also Head Coach for the Revolution and will once again be leading the camp on behalf of the USAFL. Among others he will be joined by his club President and 2011 International Cup player Saleh Tyebjee and newcomer Aaron Crumpacker also from the Sacramento club.

Meanwhile Eric Wallace has kicked his first goal - in a trial match playing for North Ballarat Wallace received a free kick after he succesfully laid a tackle.  The big American went back and sent it through the big sticks.  Video below.

[youtube:tWDlmHUxeh8]