AFL's bold bid to recruit sprinting sensation Gout Gout
The 17-year-old is the hottest prospect in Australian sport, already the country's fastest man ever over 200m and on the cusp of officially breaking 10 seconds in the 100m sprint.
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In his European debut last month in the Czech Republic, Gout ran down a high quality field at the Golden Spike event to win a 200m race and improve his national record to 20.02 seconds.
Gout is next scheduled to race in a Diamond League event in Monaco on Saturday morning (AEST) as he continues to introduce himself to the athletics world.
Watch Gout Gout's European debut in the video player above
CODE Sports reports the AFL is now keen on tempting the Queenslander to take part in this year's Grand Final Sprint.
First held way back in 1979, a 100m race is held by AFL players not competing in the grand final, typically during the halftime entertainment.
One player is usually nominated from each club, with former Hawthorn winger Geoff Ablett (four wins) and Patrick Dangerfield (three) the most successful sprinters in the event's history.
Geelong star Max Holmes and Collingwood's Beau McCreery took out the 2023 and 2024 events respectively.
CODE says an approach has been made to Gout's management over taking part, which would bring enormous interest to the colourful event.
This year's grand final is scheduled for Saturday September 27, just days after Gout will be hoping to run in the Athletics World Championships in Tokyo, so the timing could work well.
AFL spokesperson Jay Allen wouldn't comment directly on Gout, but did say the league is always keen on drumming up interest in the event.
'The Grand Final Sprint is a favourite tradition of the day and we are always looking at ways to amplify the race and the public interest in it,' he said.
'We will make any announcements closer to the Toyota AFL Grand Final.'
While the AFL has plenty of handy athletes, it is likely a handicap system similar to what is used at the Stawell Gift would be needed to give any footy players hope against Gout.
Gout's effort in the Czech Republic was just the latest step in an already remarkable career from a prodigious talent that has experts reaching for the record books every time he dons his spikes.
His feat was celebrated in a number of sporting circles, with many marvelling at his undeniable progress and others becoming aware of his extraordinary ability for the first time.
Gout's family migrated to Australia in 2005 and settled in Queensland, where he was born two years later.
Commencing high school at Ipswich Grammar School, he attended his school formal earlier this year and is in year 12.
Blessed with raw talent, Gout emerged as a sprinting prodigy at a meet in 2020 and has been shattering Australia's junior records ever since.
He took that a step further at the Australian All Schools Championships in December last year when he ran 20.04 seconds.
That broke the great Peter Norman's 200m record of 20.06s that had stood since the 1968 Olympics.
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