World Footy News

The Essendon Football Club have been true to their word to stick with Ethiopian hopeful Goaner Tutlan, and have organised for him to spend a season learning Aussie Rules in Darwin, in Australia's Northern Territory.

Darwin is on Australia's northern coast and enjoys tropical weather. The football season there runs through the wet season, the months that for much of Australia are considered summer and very dry. The region doesn't boast an AFL side, mainly because of its small population, but Australian football is the dominant sport and the Territory has produces far more AFL players per capita than any other state. It has a particularly good record in developing Aboriginal players, some recent examples being multi-premiership players Darryl White (now plays with the Brisbane Lions) and Andrew McLeod (with the Adelaide Crows).

Essendon has arranged for the very successful NTFL club St Marys to oversee Tutlan's development, starting in the next few weeks. The Bombers want the former refugee to experience ruck, forward and back roles. No doubt his first few games will be keenly watched by Essendon and the media.

Read more at the Northern Territory News website.

Earlier stories about Goaner:

Ethiopian hopes to make mark for Africa

Ethiopian has to wait