College basketballer meets with six clubs as AFL chance looms

Oscar Berry in action. Picture: @_berryoscar Instagram

COLLEGE basketballer Oscar Berry is poised to be the next Category B rookie to join the AFL, after meeting with six clubs across the past fortnight before returning to the United States.

Berry is understood to have undergone trials with the Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne, Essendon and Melbourne, while also sitting down with Geelong and St Kilda during his visit home.

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The 23-year-old grew up in Australia and last played a game of footy in an under-15 Essendon Districts Football League Grand Final for Aberfeldie, after being selected in the Western Jets' under-15 program.

Berry moved to Florida at the age of 16 when his dad landed a job as director of sports science and performance at the IMG Academy, where Berry finished high school alongside Charlotte Hornets guard Josh Green, who accepted an offer to join Greater Western Sydney's Academy before moving to America and being selected in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft.

After starting his collegiate career at Fairleigh Dickenson University in New Jersey, Berry transferred to the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, where he finished his degree in March.

Clubs are understood to view Berry as an athletic key defender, in the mould of cricket convert James O'Donnell, who has played 36 games for the Western Bulldogs since being signed as a Category B rookie at the start of 2023.

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The 196cm athlete was put through trials by development coaches, recruiters and even a GM, with clubs impressed by his athleticism and skills and expected to offer him a contract in the coming weeks.

Berry attended games with the Kangaroos, Demons, Bulldogs and Bombers and was invited into Alastair Clarkson's pre-game meeting before North Melbourne defeated Richmond at the MCG last month.

Oscar is the younger brother of Jordan Berry, who spent eight years punting in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings after progressing through the Calder Cannons, before joining ProKick and heading to college. His other brother, Wilson, is currently a punter at the University of Kentucky after going through the Western Jets.

After nearly seven years in the United States, Berry is believed to be keen to return to Victoria and return to the game he played growing up, where he attended the Maribyrnong Sports Academy at the same time as North Melbourne gun Paul Curtis, Western Bulldogs swingman Buku Khamis and Carlton defender Jordan Boyd.

Berry was born in Brisbane but spent time in Perth when his father Jason landed a role with West Coast as a sports performance coach. The family then moved to Melbourne when Jason joined the high performance department at Essendon.

Category B rookies are eligible if they haven't registered in an Australian Football competition for three years or an international player, meaning they are not an Australian citizen and haven't lived in Australia for a substantial period.

Most are from Ireland, although clubs are constantly scouring far and wide to unearth free hits, like O'Donnell. Hawthorn signed two last year, adding rugby league player Matt Hill and former basketballer Jaime Uhr-Henry.

Collingwood and Gold Coast convinced Wil Parker and Zak Evans to walk away from cricket and join the AFL in 2024. Alex Keath played 109 games for Adelaide and the Western Bulldogs after returning to football in 2015.

Most college basketballers that have joined clubs as Category B rookies are project ruckmen, like Mate Colina at Richmond. Alex Condon has a unique agreement with Collingwood but has committed to remain at the University of Florida for another season, after playing Berry in a game earlier this year.

Matt Owies joined Carlton in 2018 as a Category B rookie after NCAA basketball for the University of Hawaii before returning to Melbourne to pursue a football career. Now with West Coast, the small forward has played 82 games.

Berry now looms as the next Category B rookie with a basketball background to join the AFL.

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