Forward July 2015 | Page 63

OLD GUILDFORDIANS Courageous U-turn opens door to AFL for It was only a year ago that we reported on the exceptional pathway of sporting talent Corey Adamson (Be 2005-2009), a young man now 23 years of age who had already played baseball for Australia and was an integral part of Perth Heat’s championship in the 2013/2014 season of the Australian Baseball League. Even at the age of 16, Corey’s dream of playing Major League Baseball seemed within reach when he was lured to the United States by the San Diego Padres and had been playing for affiliated clubs within the Padres structure. As fate would have it, Corey’s sporting career would take a U-turn with a return to Australia and a sporting code he had not played since he was a teenager, Australian Rules Football. Recruiting officer for the West Coast Eagles, Brad Smith, flew to the US to meet with Corey and to conduct skills testing. As an AFL prospect Corey commands consideration, he has built a reputation for stealing bases in baseball with his explosive sprinting ability, he has impressive athleticism, solid skills and a powerful physique that is broad and bang on the average AFL height of 188cm. It isn’t just Corey’s size and abilities that make him an intriguing prospect for the Eagles, he has football history too, having played for the Under-15 All-Australian team and also the State Under-16s as a junior for East Perth Football Club. In addition, Corey could also be easily recruited to the Eagles Rookie List, as a Ca ѕ