American basketballer Alex Starling with ‘Buddy-like’ attributes trains with Port Adelaide

AN AMERICAN basketballer with Lance Franklin-like physical attributes is training at Alberton as the Power considers him for an international rookie spot next season.

AN AMERICAN basketballer with Lance Franklin-like physical attributes is training at Alberton as the Power considers him for an international rookie spot next season.

Alex Starling, who stands 198cm and 93kg, has been training with Port Adelaide Magpies after moving to SA to play state league basketball for Woodville.

A Port spokesman confirmed Starling — part of Sydney’s international scholarship program in 2012 — had trained with the club a few times but he was committed to Woodville.

The club would not comment on his rookie prospects.

Speaking last week, the 25-year-old Florida native did not want to discuss his football playing status, only to say “I’m still keen to give footy a go, I’ll leave it at that”.

Under AFL rules, Port can commit to signing Starling as a Category B international rookie at any point but must wait until the rookie draft to make it official.

Starling’s X-factor is his athleticism, which Swans premiership coach Paul Roos described as “phenomenal” in January 2012 after the footy newcomer had linked up with Sydney.

“He has an AFL-type body like Buddy Franklin,” said Roos, then a Swans academy coach.

“I’ve never seen a bloke cover ground like him.

“I’ve never seen a guy run from centre half-forward to the goalsquare as fast in my life.”

Starling’s journey from Bethune-Cookman University basketballer with no knowledge of Aussie Rules to Alberton, via Sydney, is one out of the box.

He was unexpectedly contacted on Facebook after a talent scout had used algorithms to search a database for division one US college basketballers with specific athletic traits.

Starling was asked if he would be interested in pursuing an AFL career.

“They sent me some footage of Nic Naitanui ... and that was the first time I ever saw footy,” said Starling, who has been identified as a potential ruckman or key forward.

“As soon as I saw it, I immediately fell in love with it and was like, ‘where has this been all my life?’”

From there Starling impressed Roos at a two-day screening session in Redondo Beach, California, in June 2011, recording a 2.82-second 20m sprint and winning the 3km time trial.

He came to Australia for testing and trainings with the Swans two months later and even lived with Roos for three weeks.

But a stress fracture in his left leg prevented Sydney from listing him as an international rookie at the end of 2012.

“With the impact I wanted to make, not just for myself but for Americans as well, I was down a little bit.

“But I still wanted to give footy a go.”

Starling finished college last year and had been set to join VFL club Frankston this season, only for that to fall through over summer.

Instead he moved to Adelaide, where his manager lives.

Woodville, coached by SA basketball great Al Green, was told about his hoops background and signed him in January.

He is also training with Adelaide 36ers.

Once Port learnt about Starling it invited him to train with the Magpies.

He is not expected to play for the club this season.