Barty and Carroll’s trip of a lifetime

QBE Sydney Swans Academy member Joshua Barty and GWS GIANTS Academy member Jim Carroll will embark on a trip of a lifetime to South Africa next year.

The pair were selected in the prestigious Under-15 School Sport Australia AFL team following their impressive performances at Nationals earlier in the year.

The trip, from 16 – 29 January 2012, will see the two NSW-based players join just 23 others from all over Australia to tour South Africa.

They’ll be flying into Johannesburg and then making their way out into the townships where they’ll run clinics with the local kids taking part in FootyWILD (South Africa’s Auskick equivalent).

While overseas, the Australia team will also be playing three matches against representative South Africa sides in Potchefstroom, Vryburg and either Mafikeng or Potch. 

The tour will also see the group go on safaris through the country’s famous game reserves as well as visit the luxurious Sun City.

It will be a memorable trip for the Central Coast based Barty and Wagga Wagga resident Jim whose uncle is former Sydney Swans captain Dennis Carroll.

Danny Stevens has overseen the development of Barty and Carroll and believes they’re an exciting pair with bright futures ahead of them.

“They’re both two young, quality kids who played extrememly well at the nationals carnival in Canberra a few months ago,” Stevens said.

“Jimmy’s a big, key defender that’s still growing and still developing and played a key role at centre-half back.

“Josh is another one that played really good at half-back and as ruck-rover and he has all of the attributes to become a very good midfielder once he learns the game.

“He’s pretty raw at the moment but he certainly could develop into an AFL footballer.”

School Sport Australia has a proud history of identifying NSW-raised AFL stars with the likes of Brett Kirk, Cam Mooney and Shane Crawford playing in the competition as juniors.