Player of the Week

Each week AFL Europe is profiling a European player and finding out how they got into the great game of Aussie Rules and a bit about themselves. If you’d like a profile or know of someone who would, then email ben.durance@afleurope.org to receive a question sheet.

This week’s Player of the Week is the evergreen, Sandy Bell, from the Kingdom Kangaroos and Scottish Clansmen. The British Champion in kayaking took to the game of Aussie Rules 3 years ago and has made a name for himself as a tough and uncompromising defender. Have a look at the rest of Sandy’s profile below:

Name:

Sandy Bell

Club:

Kingdom Kangaroos

Nationality:

Scottish

What position do you play?

Fullback

AFL team you support:

North Melbourne

Favourite AFL player:

Dustin Fletcher

How did you find out about AFL?

I first discovered AFL in the early 80s on TV but didn’t realise the sport existed in Scotland until 4 years ago. A fellow kayaker dragged me along to Roo’s training and I loved every minute of it. I have now been playing for 3 great years

How long have you been playing for?

3 years

What is your memory of your first Aussie Rules game?

The coach played me up front in my first outing but that wasn’t for me. Luckily we lost a few backs during the game and I was shifted to defence…. absolutely loved it.

Best AFL moment?

The highlight of my Aussie Rules experience has to be playing in the Euro Cup finals in Lisbon for the Scottish Clansmen. Playing the Netherlands in Amsterdam was a great warm-up. Unfortunately, I may not be able to continue playing much longer. But I’ll try.

Any other interesting information, quirky stories or interesting things about yourself?

It may be time for me to concentrate on kayaking again as it’s a lot kinder on the body. It is 2 years since I became British Champion in the 6.5km event in Worcester. I hope to see you all in Toulouse next year for the Euro Cup.