SPURRED on by the success of former steeplechaser Mark Blicavs, Geelong has signed another player under the alternative talent rules, with basketballer Michael Luxford joining the Cats as a 'Category B' rookie.
The 18-year-old from the Melbourne suburb of Hoppers Crossing, who has very little previous football experience, was among the new faces at pre-season training at Simonds Stadium on Monday.
Rather than being a typical beanpole basketballer, Luxford boasts a powerful midfielder's build, standing 186cm and 92kgs.
"Michael is a very talented sportsman, a high achiever in basketball and school, and after plenty of trials with him we can see genuine potential," Geelong recruiting manager Stephen Wells said.
Luxford has been part of Victorian representative basketball teams since the age of 11, and he was selected in Australia's under-17 and under-18 teams.
He travelled to Lithuania in June 2012 as a member of Australia's under-17 world championship team, which claimed the silver medal.
After a successful 2013, which saw him named the MVP in the under-23 Big V League, while playing for Werribee, Luxford has been persuaded to try his luck on the footy field.
"It was an enormous decision for Michael and his family to go down a different path and choose footy," Wells said.
Luxford follows in the footsteps of another former basketballer, Ryan Bathie, who spent three seasons on Geelong's rookie list.
Bathie played in the Cats' 2012 VFL premiership, but was recently delisted and is now training with Richmond.
Although he has already begun training with Geelong, Luxford will fulfil a number of basketball commitments in the coming months.
He will represent his secondary school, Caulfield Grammar, at next week’s national schools basketball competition.
He will also represent Victoria at the under-20 national championships in Perth in February.
"The club has been very lenient and fantastic in allowing me to go back and fulfil my prior basketball commitments. I'm very grateful," Luxford said.
