AFL hasn't stopped its recruitment hunt with untested rugby league stars - this is the Canberra kid the Giants hope will make the leap from European handball to football star.
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Canberra Grammar student Karl Warrener is yet to play a competition game of AFL, but the 16-year-old is destined to become the centre of a tug-o-war between AFL and the Olympic sport of European handball.
While each sport is happy to share him for now, talent scouts claim he has the ability to reach the top of both.
Warrener came to the attention of AFL scouts when, at just 15, he represented the ACT men's open team at the national championships for European handball in Queensland last October.
Manager of AFL ACT/South Coast Steve Mahar got in touch and, after a 15 minute kicking session at Gowrie Oval, recruited him into the Giants Academy.
''I could just see that he has what it takes to play elite level AFL,'' Mahar said. ''We only had a kick for 15 minutes but I could tell he could read the flight of the ball really well, it was like second nature to him and he hadn't played before.
''He's got a great spring, he's good strength-wise, he can kick the ball really well for someone who hasn't played AFL before. Obviously he has to jump through a few hoops to get to that level given he's only 16, but the Giants Academy is one step in that process.''
''It was a weird way to come across him but European handball is such an athletic sport and a lot of the skills are transferable,'' Mahar said.
European handball hasn't given up hope yet, with Australia men's coach and 2000 Olympian Taip Ramadani pledging his support to help Warrener forge a career pathway in Europe - where the top players earn up to one million euro a year.
Ramadani, who also lives in the ACT, has mentored Warrener's development since the 190cm teenager took up the sport only two years ago.
Warrener is already captain of the Australian U18 team, plays in the U21 team and Ramadani said he would be in line for a senior call-up when his body matured over the next two years.
''I've seen talented players, I've trained talented juniors in Europe, but I haven't seen players pick up the sport so quickly like he has, he's a big talent, a natural,'' Ramadani said.
While European handball is an Olympic sport, Australia is not qualified for London and there are no guarantees beyond.
''I tell Karl there's an opportunity to play at the Rio Olympics or the Olympics after that, but I can't say that as a guarantee that the team will qualify,'' Ramadani said.
''It's very difficult because it's not the first time they [AFL] have taken athletes from us, they come and poach them at nationals. ''
Warrener, who has linked with AFL club Eastlake, dominated in his first practise match for the under-18s team. But Mahar said they would not pressure him to decide between the sports.
''He's got such potential, we'll try him in a variety of roles.''
