CODY Grace and Jamie Ryder were recently given the chance to showcase Australian Rules football on the international stage.
The talented Warwick Senior High School footballers were named in national teams to tour overseas during summer.
Grace (15) landed an All-Australian Schoolboys jumper after impressing selectors for WA in the national championships last year.
“Cody’s a strong mark, a good shot in front of goal and an extremely hard worker,” Warwick SHS football coach John Batten said.
“He’s been training with Subiaco colts already, which is a few years above his age group.”
Grace travelled to South Africa this week to play an exhibition match against an African national side.
The team will also run football clinics with local communities.
Ryder (15) played a similar role when he travelled to Fiji with the AFL’s indigenous youth team the Flying Boomerangs in December.
“Jamie’s a midfielder who plays best on wing or half forward.
“He’s a smooth mover with good disposal,” Batten said.
It was an experience the left-footer will not forget any time soon, with past Aboriginal AFL stars Andrew McLeod, Chris Johnson and Des Headland coaching the lads on tour.
The undefeated team shared Australian culture with opponents from Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, Samoa, Tonga, Soloman Islands and Vanuatu.