7th November 2008

After eight months teaching football in the South Pacific kingdom of Tonga, Dylan Harper has returned home to head up a program at the South West Academy of Sport.

The South Bunbury and former Swan Districts player will coordinate the academy’s Australian Rules football program, which is expected to get underway this month.

The program will draw 15 and 16 year olds from throughout the region and work in tandem with the Swan Districts, Peel Thunder and East Perth football clubs.

“Selection to this program will be a great step for the athletes as they will not be required to travel to Perth for training,” Harper said.

Harper knows first hand the strain constant travel can place on a young athlete – he regularly travelled from Bunbury to Perth as a teenager pursuing a football career.

He played for South Bunbury and then in the Western Australian Football League for Swan Districts. Harper will resume playing football in the South West Football League with South Bunbury Football Club.

He represented Western Australia at national 16’s and 18’s carnivals, attended the 2002 AFL draft camp and trained with the Melbourne Football Club in 2003.

Harper spent the past eight months in Tonga teaching football to locals through the Tonga Australian Football Association.

He is now South West coaching and talent manager for the WA Football Commission and will coordinate the South West Academy of Sport’s football program – a role he is looking forward to.

“It’s going to be great that young players from the South West are going to be equally advantaged compared to their metro-based peers,” Harper said.