AFL CLUBS are circling Sydney Kings guard and former Australian under-19 basketball captain Tom Wilson over the prospect of a switch to football.
AFL.com.au understands up to six clubs are monitoring the 21-year-old's future as he hunts an NBL championship with the Kings.
Having turned his back on a berth in the AIS-AFL Academy five years ago, a decision from Wilson to return to football would create a bidding war among clubs attempting to sign him outside the draft.
Wilson is eligible to be selected as a Category B rookie and paid outside of the salary cap, having not been registered in football at any level in the past three years.
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In June last year, the 194cm guard explicitly rejected suggestions he was considering a return to football, saying he was "completely committed to basketball".
However, he has been starved of opportunities at the ladder-leading Kings this season after signing a one-year contract in April last year, with the option of a second season in 2019/20.
Wilson spent the NBL off-season playing in the SEABL with his junior club Melbourne Tigers and won the league's MVP award.
However, his lack of game time at NBL level has prompted AFL recruiters to track his progress in the hope he may wish to reignite an football career.
Wilson used Geelong's training facilities last year ahead of the NBL season, and his girlfriend's family owns a holiday house in nearby Ocean Grove.
He has harboured aspirations to represent the Boomers at the Olympics but Wilson appears a long way down the pecking order at the moment, with Australia set to field its strongest team in recent memory in 2020.
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Having impressed onlookers at the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships with Vic Metro, Wilson was named in the 2014 Level One AFL-AIS Academy squad alongside Callum Mills and Jacob Weitering.
Instead, he opted to pursue a basketball career and captained Australian to silver at the 2014 Under-17 World Championships, amassing 23 points in the gold medal game against the USA.
Wilson later went on to captain the Australia under-19 side at the 2015 World Championships, before a stint in American college basketball.
Wilson's former Australian teammate, Matt Owies, last year signed with Carlton as one of five Category B rookies to make the switch to football from basketball ahead of 2019.
Melbourne won the race for highly touted big man Austin Bradtke, Brisbane landed former Brisbane Bullet Tom Fullarton, Sam Alabakis joined St Kilda, while Patrick Bines and Brodie Riach signed with West Coast.
Other recent prominent Category B signings include Geelong's dual best and fairest winner Mark Blicavs (athletics), Collingwood forward Mason Cox (basketball) and Adelaide utility Hugh Greenwood (basketball).
