The Bendigo Bombers’ development squad has been in training for a couple of weeks now and among them is 22-year-old Ethiopian Goaner Tutlan. Tutlan has created a wave of media interest with his ambition to become the first African to play AFL football. He is the first to admit it is a long way off happening but he is prepared to give it his best shot.

A lunch with Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy convinced Tutlan to try his luck. ""He said it was a long shot but why not give it a go. I first picked up a football six weeks ago,"" Tutlan said. ""I just want to give it a go and work my way up from the seconds. I’m not thinking about my skills because it is something I can learn.""

Essendon assistant coach Mark Harvey said the club had been very impressed with the athletic attributes of the 22-year-old. ""His speed times were very good, he is agile, has a good vertical leap and is tall,"" Harvey said.

""But having said all that, he has a long way to go. He has never played a game, would not know what a hip and shoulder is and needs to bulk up. But we have always been happy to experiment and look at different ways of going about things. Who knows what the future might hold?""