MELBOURNE has signed former Melbourne Renegades cricketer Guy Walker as a category 'B' rookie, the second player the Demons have claimed from another sport to add to their 2019 list.
Walker joins Austin Bradtke – the son of former Australian basketballer Mark – to follow the same pathway, with the former junior basketball star signing with the club in May.
Walker, 22, will officially join Melbourne on November 1, but will be able to complete a select number of AFL improved sessions with the club.
Under AFL rules, he will be unable to train with the AFL squad until the November cut-off date.
Walker said pro scout Tim Lamb and best mate and Demons defender Joel Smith were central to him landing at the club.
"I've gone down the rookie B route in the last few months and I've just been trying to find the best place to where I might get a decent opportunity and develop my footy," Walker told melbournefc.com.au.
"I'm happy to be part of the Melbourne footy club."
Walker, who was born in Nottingham, England, played one T20 match with the Renegades in 2015, playing alongside world-class cricketers in Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo and Aaron Finch.
He took 0-47 off three overs in a tough initiation to top-line cricket.
Walker was a member of the Victorian Bushrangers' squad for five years and on the Renegades' list for three, including the last few seasons where he was hampered by a persistent shoulder problem.
Walker said watching how Smith – signed initially as a category 'B' rookie because of his junior basketball background – developed was a clinching factor in his decision to commit to the Demons.
"It's been amazing for me to watch Melbourne … just seeing the culture and the development coaches, it's a pretty amazing thing," Walker said.
"The decision to stay in Melbourne was also a factor, so I'm looking forward to getting started now.
"It'll just be nice to have a year without any injuries.
"Fingers crossed that I do everything I can to get my body right and have a kick of the footy."