Power eyes ‘powerful’ South Adelaide tyro Emmanuel Irra
THE Power has met with Ugandan-born South Adelaide league footballer Emmanuel Irra as it considers recruiting him for next season as a rookie, under the AFL’s new multicultural rules.
THE Power has met with Ugandan-born South Adelaide league footballer Emmanuel Irra as it considers recruiting him for next season as a rookie, under the AFL’s new multicultural rules.
Port Adelaide has nominated both Irra and Norwood teenager Ariek Lual from the state league competition to ensure it has first crack at either player if they are not taken in the national or rookie drafts.
Under the new rules, clubs can list players as Category B rookies from the AFL’s indigenous and multicultural academies.
Irra, 22, has played 38 league games, including Sunday’s semi-final loss to Adelaide, in which he had 15 disposals.
He and his family fled war-torn Uganda and arrived in Australia when Irra was just 11 in 2005.
He played football for Port Noarlunga in the southern suburbs and Sacred Heart College before making his SANFL league debut with the Panthers as a 17-year-old in 2011.
South Adelaide football manager Neil Sharpe described Irra — who is listed as 183cm and 82kg — as a “powerful midfield option”.
“He’s quick and strong and is improving every year,” Sharpe said.
“It would be a great opportunity for him to get into an AFLthe system. It might not have been his dream growing up but he’d love the opportunity.”
Irra, who works as a teaching aid at a secondary school, had a solid season but was restricted at times by an ankle and knee injuries.
Lual meanwhile is a 17-year-old key position player from Sudan who spent most of this season in the under-18s and some in the reserves at Norwood.
Recruited from Athelstone, Lual stands 192cm, can kick with both feet.
“He is a super talent, a fantastic athlete and very aware of what’s around him, he has excellent disposal and uses the ball well,” Norwood under-18 coach and talent manager Robbie Neill.
“He came to Australia when he was about seven or eight and has played some reserves footy, he can play at either end but has found a spot in defence and is quite good at transition.”
This AFL season has featured the emergence of African refugee Aliir Aliir who made his debut for Sydney in Round 6 and has played 11 games including the weekend’s qualifying final against GWS.
Aliir was born in a Kenyan refugee camp to Sudanese parents in 1994 and fled Africa when he was seven.
It has also been a breakout season for Sudanese-born Majak Daw at North Melbourne after he played nine games and kicked four goals in Saturday night’s semi-final against Adelaide.
reece.homfray@news.com.au