MELBOURNE has used a Category B Rookie spot to round out its ruck stocks, adding 206cm teenage basketballer Kyah Farris-White to its list on Friday.
With gun ruckmen Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy teaming up in 2023, Farris-White joins the Demons as a project tall who played football as a junior before pursuing basketball.
The 18-year-old qualifies under the Category B Rookie criteria, given he has not been registered in an Australian football competition for at least three years, but his passion for the game is strong.
"I actually played football for longer than I played basketball," Farris-White told melbournefc.com.au.
"Growing up that was my thing. If you look back to primary school – you know when you write your letter to yourself for when you graduate, mine would've said AFL player on it.
"Basketball was a late pick up for me as I got taller."
Farris-White played football until he was 12 years old, with basketball taking over and quickly becoming serious.
His family moved from Melbourne to Perth when he was 15 and already six foot seven, with two stints overseas following as he continued to pursue basketball at an elite junior level.
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"Basketball there was so different to basketball here – it was quite intensive," he said.
"I ended up moving from that first school in America, came home, then late 2021 I went to Canada and went to school there.
"Intensive training, great program – that was definitely a good insight into the semi-professional life.
"A sporting background always helps, (and) I think basketball is great for the coordination and footwork elements."
Melbourne is expected to use only two picks in next month's NAB AFL Draft, holding picks No.13 and 37, with the addition of Farris-White likely satisfying any need for a developing ruckman before those selections are used.
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The club also lost long-term ruckman Luke Jackson after three seasons to Fremantle, with the 21-year-old star replaced with the experienced Grundy, 28, from Collingwood.
Captain Gawn, 30, remains an elite ruckman and was named in the Therabody AFL All-Australian team for the sixth time this season.
