Bid on Hawks academy player.
They passed on him.
This will prove to be worse than us taking Myers over Cyril.
Welcome to Essendon Mozzie
If he is half as exciting as his name then we have an excitement machine!
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Yay! A small forward. Even though the list needed it I didn’t think we’d do it (at least early). Good pick up.
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And he’s a Bombers fan as well.
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looks like an excitement machine LIKE
AFL draft 2018: Irving Mosquito could help fill the gap left by Cyril Rioli at Hawthorn
Hawthorn might have found the heir to Cyril Rioli’s throne in the form of another buzzing, livewire forward.
His name is Irving Mosquito.
And his path to the AFL is similar to the one Rioli took more than a decade ago.
While the four-time premiership Hawk moved from Darwin to Scotch College in Melbourne as a 14-year-old, Mosquito moved from Halls Creek in the Kimberley’s to Gippsland Grammar in country Victoria when he was just 12.
The 18-year-old has been part of Hawthorn’s next generation academy since 2016 and could land at Waverley Park after two strong years for Gippsland Power in the TAC Cup.
Mosquito met his idol, Cyril Rioli, when the pair crossed paths at the Hawks and could barely string a sentence together.
Alastair Clarkson’s side haven’t made any promises about picking him this November, but Mosquito would love to follow in Rioli’s footsteps if the door swings open for him.
“I grew up a Bombers supporter but Cyril Rioli is one of my biggest idols,” Mosquito told foxfooty.com.au at October’s draft combine.
“Fortunately I got to meet him when I was at Hawthorn as part of the next gen academy. I was pretty star-struck when I met him. I didn’t know what to say. It was pretty special.”
“It was a very big eye opener for me (training with Hawthorn). Kids like me just don’t get the opportunity. Going into an AFL club and training with them has been very big. It’s a very good club. So I’d love to go there. But they didn’t guarantee anything yet.”
If he doesn’t land at Hawthorn, Mosquito is happy to go anywhere. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time he has had to pack up his life and move from one spot in the country to another.
The polished left-footer grew up in the northern tip of Western Australia, in a tiny place alongside his cousin, Sam Petrevski-Seton, before Carlton plucked him with Pick 6 in the 2016 National Draft.
“You have to fly to Broome which is like two hours, then another three to Perth, and then three to Melbourne. So it is a long way away,” Mosquito said.
He ended up moving to attend a prestigious secondary school in Sale — 220km outside Melbourne and a world away from Halls Creek — after his father approached a friend, Mick Roberts, who taught at the local school before moving back to Gippsland Grammar.
“They used to teach in WA and my dad used to take them out hunting and fishing. Then my dad spoke to Mick, my guardian, and he said, ‘I needed the opportunity’. So they took me into their house and looked after me and fed me and stuff like that,” he said.
“Going from Halls Creek to Gippsland it was very cold. I was used to the heat and it was cold in Gippsland. The lifestyle is very different.”
Gippsland Power talent manager Peter Francis has watched Mosquito blossom and sees plenty of similarities to Rioli.
“He is a very exciting talent, very much in the mould of Cyril Rioli. He has super speed and is super quick; he is a goal kicker; he loves to tackle and smother and chase. All the boys love him; he is a really loved character down here at Gippsland Power,” Francis said.
While Mosquito is considered a strong chance to be drafted, most likely towards the latter stages of the draft or in the rookie draft, Francis sees a bright future for him away from the game.
“I’d love to see him end up on an AFL list, but I know that his education is his No. 1 priority and that’s really important. He wants to eventually go back home and be a leader amongst his people and be a park ranger,” he said.
“He speaks three or four different languages so he’d be amazing as a park ranger. But I think he can have a massive impact in the AFL if and when he’s drafted.”
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For a small forward, a lot of his highlights seem to be in the middle of the ground.
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Stealing a gem player from the hawks grasp and a longtime Essendon supporter.
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So excited to have him
Well done disco!!!
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Moz!
BT just wet his pants at the thought of it. Just give us all Friday night games.
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Perfect.
- fills a need
- stuffs Hawthorn
- Essendon supporter
- makes benfti happy
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Good work,
Welcome Loco.
Shittttttt yeahhhhhhhh
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Go figure, a pick that all of BBlitz is happy with.
Dodoro working miracles.
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The (obvious) fact he’s indigenous is heart warming considering we’ve only got 2 “boys” on the list (more the better!). Could be fun watching Tippa and Irving buzz around the forward line causing havoc. And given where the list is at, he’s / Essendon have time on their side to develop the talent. Exciting times ahead
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Where are all the Bytel lovers now?!?
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