Adelaide’s SA/WA Recruiting Manager Phil Bunn has joined the AIS-AFL Academy on its two-week tour of Europe.

Bunn, who joined the Club from Port Adelaide late-last year, will keep a diary of the trip, bringing you up to date with the team’s performances and adventures, and providing an insight to this year’s hottest draft prospects.

Here’s the last instalment …

Day 11, Copenhagen

Well, if we thought Surrey in England was cold, Copenhagen took ‘cold’ to a whole new level.

The flight from Heathrow to Copenhagen only took 90 minutes, but an icy wind and temperature of three degrees was a shock to the travelling Aussies, who have just come from a long hot summer.

There were concerns about the condition of the oval where the game was to be played given it had been under ice and snow only a few days earlier. But a quick inspection from the hierarchy upon arrival gave the venue the all clear.

The venue in Copenhagen is shared with a local cricket club, made up mostly of Pakistan ex-pats, who live and work in Denmark.

The format for this match was to field two evenly-matched teams, with each team having a combination of AIS/AFL Academy players and European Legion players. The teams were to be coached by Mick O'Loughlin and Tadhg Kennelly and the players were taking the contest very seriously.

As the players warmed up in the icy conditions the temperature had reached four degrees but the three-goal wind blowing straight down the ground was chilling. The bravery and commitment of all the players could only be admired as they competed with the same level of intensity they had displayed in game one in England.

Brad Crouch’s younger brother, Matt, was again in the thick of the action in the midfield. Matt is a very talented young player. As an inside midfielder, he is similar in some regards to Brad particularly in the way he competes strongly for the ball. But he is a different player to his older brother.

He is a prolific ball winner at TAC Cup level for the North Ballarat Rebels and excels at stoppages with his ability to win the contested ball and clear it to his team’s advantage. He has good game sense and his excellent vision allows him to bring team mates into the game. He has clean hands and uses the ball well on his preferred left foot – this was on show even in the tricky conditions in Copenhagen.

Other players to perform well in the game were Luke Dunstan (SA), Lewis Taylor (Vic), Jimmy Tsitas (Vic), Trent Dumont (SA) and Dom Sheed (WA).

The match was a terrific contest right to the final siren. The superior skill level of the Aussie players shone through, but the enthusiasm of the Europeans was to be admired.

The players were given a warm reception as they left the field, with the crowd appreciating their efforts under the trying weather conditions. Tadhg Kennelly's team had won the bragging rights from the day … and who knows it might be a stepping stone for Tadgh to consider moving into coaching ranks at AFL level in the future.

Rehab and recovery after the match was hardly necessary as most of the players were frozen anyway. Lunch for the touring party was followed by a brief presentation to best players before everybody headed back onto the bus and the indoor warmth back at the hotel.

The final day of the tour included a morning sightseeing tour of Copenhagen followed by some free time in the afternoon for the players.

I managed to catch up for a chat with a few more of the boys during the afternoon, helping to get to know them a little better and get their thoughts on the trip.

The long flight back to Australia was to be the final leg of a memorable trip for 30 young men who had represented their country with pride, on the other side of the world.

The trip was a memorable one for all involved. The opportunity for recruiters to meet the players and their families over the duration of the tour was invaluable.

Many of these players will be at the forefront come Draft day in November this year, when their dreams of being drafted onto an AFL list may become a reality.

Match report

Tadhg Kennelly's side 2.6 5.7 8.10 9.12  (66)
Michael O'Loughlin's side 0.0 0.2 2.4 6.8 (44)

Goals
Kennelly: Hourigan 3, Campion 2, Tsitas 2, Cutler, Kolodjashnij
O'Loughlin: Boyd, Secher, Sheed, Spina, Di Gorgio, Wasley-Black

Best
Kennelly: Crouch, Taylor, Hourigan, Dunstan, Kolodjashnij, Bontempelli, Robertson, Hunchey
O'Loughlin: Sheed, Perris, Dumont, Wasley-Black, Di Gorgio