South Morang’s Harry Austin has a special skill that saw him named a finalist for the 2022 NAB AFL Auskicker of the Year award.
The six-year-old Essendon fanatic can recall the final scores from each of the Bombers’ AFL games in the past two seasons.
When quizzed, Harry correctly recited the final scores of the July 2021 clash between Essendon and Adelaide, an 84-21 win for the Bombers; the Anzac Day meeting between Collingwood and Essendon last year, a 109-85 Essendon victory; and the Bombers’ round one 2021 meeting with Hawthorn, a 92-91 loss for his side.
The unique ability garnered Harry one of 21 nominations for Auskicker of the Year announced during the AFL season. The winner of the award, Archie Stockdale, was announced during Sunday night’s Brownlow Medal count.
Each of the 21 finalists will also take part in this year’s AFL grand final celebrations, joining Friday’s grand final parade and presenting premiership medals to the winning team on Saturday.
Harry’s parents said he was ‘very excited to run out onto the MCG in front of the full crowd, although probably a little bit nervous’.
They said Harry had played Auskick for the past two years, joining as soon as he was eligible, after becoming obsessed with football at the start of 2021.
They said he didn’t put special effort into memorising each of the Bombers’ scores – they simply stuck with him.
Harry said he was excited to present a premiership medal to a player and couldn’t wait to see who he would give it to.
