AMERICAN FOOTBALL
BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT
A REGULAR school fitness test turned into a unique experience for Anjelo Abuan, featuring at the Polynesian Bowl Football Combine and Showcase held in Tullamarine recently.
The Newborough local was accepted into the exclusive event after recording exceptional numbers at Lowanna College last year, with his fitness test later sent to sports training developer Rookie Me.
Partnered with the Polynesian Bowl (a premier American football program for US high school students), Rookie Me and Ginnen Group Sports Management brought the opportunity onto Australian soil.
Abuan was quite shocked when he received news that he’d been invited to attend the event.
“It was a big surprise, I thought it was really random and fake at first,” he told the Express.
“I didn’t expect to be invited through my results I recorded last year, especially since there was only 150 other athletes that got invited too.”
Abuan’s initial fitness test included 20 metre sprints, the AFL agility test and vertical jumps, among others.
From his Lowanna testing, it was determined that Abuan would undertake the combine at the playing position of wide receiver, due to his agility, quickness and ability to catch the ball.
Abuan admitted nerves when heading over to Tullamarine, especially considering he had only ever played the sport on the odd occasion with his mates at school during lunchtime.
“The sport American football sounds pretty intimidating, especially for a small guy like me,” he said.
“But it turned out great as everyone was welcoming.”
Abuan completed further fitness testing, similar to that of an NFL Draft combine, followed by specific roles training with drills unique to each position, and then finishing with four-on-four scrimmages.
This was overseen by multi-time Super Bowl champions Jesse Sapolu (San Francisco 49ers) and Ma’a Tanuvasa (Denver Broncos), of which Sapolu is the co-founder of the Polynesian Bowl.
Tanuvasa spent three years (1991 to 1993) at the University of Hawaii – the same school former Moe footballer Billy Gowers attended as a punter before recently transferring to reigning national champion Indiana Hoosiers.
Abuan called the combine “a great learning opportunity.”
“I got to meet new people and taste a new sport that is fairly uncommon here.”
Onward from this, Abuan will wait patiently to see if he is one of the lucky few recipients of a scholarship, which could potentially take him overseas to pursue a college career.
“Honestly, if I get offered anything that would be a very big thing, but I’m not expecting it,” he said.
“I’d be lucky enough to get offered anything though. They may also invite you to do preseason with the same group again to train for American football in the summer to refine and build more skills.”
In the meantime, Abuan still plays local junior Aussie rules football for Yallourn Yallourn North Football-Netball Club.
