Perris impresses on European Tour

AIS-AFL High Performance Coach Michael O’Loughlin accompanied the squad on the tour (along with mentors Brad Ottens and Tadhg Kennelly) which was designed to offer new experiences and challenges to some of Australia’s most talented young footballers.

Not only did the players have the opportunity to represent their country and their code, but they also learnt important skills in preparing for and recovering from big matches in new environments, allowing them to put their training into practice.

First up on the squad’s itinerary was a stopover at the AIS European training centre in Varese, Italy where the players took part in an intensive training camp.

The group then travelled to England to prepare for their match against the European Legion on April 6 at Surrey Sportspark.

The final leg of the squad’s tour was in a freezing and snow-laden Copenhagen where they prepared for a combined match with the European side on April 10.

This trip to Europe was the centerpiece of the AIS-AFL Academy’s nine-month program, which began last September with a week-long camp in Melbourne during Grand Final week.

The group then travelled to Canberra’s Australian Insititute of Sport headquarters, where they were introduced to mentors Brad Ottens, Tadhg Kennelly, Brad Johnson, Glen Jakovich and Matthew Lloyd, who will all be available to the players for help and advice throughout the year.

The off-field requirements of a footballer also received attention, as the group focused on topics including recovery, rehabilitation, diet, etiquette and media training.

AFL NSW/ACT Talent and Coaching Manager Darren Denneman believes Perris has what it takes to have a long and successful career in the AFL.

“He is the ultimate professional, both on and off the field,” Dennemam said.

“One of Lloyd’s biggest strengths as a midfielder is his endurance, he is a real athlete. He also has a lot of physical and mental strength, which is remarkable for a player who is only 18 years-old.”

It was this strength which allowed him to overcome the set back of a knee reconstruction in 2012, and Perris now has eyes firmly fixed on the future.

“Lloyd trains very hard and has been preparing well on the track, especially following his surgery last year, and is now working towards the National Championships in June and July,” Denneman said.

“He’s a competitive player, and never leaves anything to chance.”

Hailing from the Sutherland Shire, Perris had his first taste of Aussie rules when he played in the Greater Sydney Juniors competition for Cronulla, before progressing into the Under-18s League with St George.

Following a stellar run of on–field performances, and impressing Swans recruiters at the AFL State Zone Trials in 2009, a 15-year-old Perris won the honour of becoming the inaugural official member of the Sydney Swans Academy in 2010.

Along with his involvement with the Academy, Perris was also signed as a NSW Scholarship holder which gives the Swans the first chance to draft him at the end of 2013.

In another first, the midfielder young gun was awarded the inaugural Cameron Ling Medal for the most professional player at the AIS-AFL Academy in 2012.

The award came after Perris’ outstanding form in the Under-18s AIS-AFL Academy squad’s tour of New Zealand.

At the end of the New Zealand tour, team mates were each asked to vote on which player they thought best embodied 30 key character traits.

Perris was awarded the highest votes by his team-mates in 12 of the 30 categories –
competitiveness, passion, patience, loyalty, respect, selflessness, sacrifice, hard work, desire, professionalism, determination and listening ability

In January of this year, Perris had his first experience of a pre-season training program with the Sydney Swans, which was part of a AIS-Academy program where each member of the squad joined an AFL club on the track for a month.

Perris is also working with the junior members of the Sydney Swans Academy, coaching the Under-11s and Under-12s.

Meanwhile off the field, the former Sydney Boys High student is making the most of his scholarship, balancing his intensive training schedule with the first year of a journalism degree at UNSW.