Having seen the creaking joints of the reality show competition format applied to the worlds of boxing, fighting, fashion design, art, poetry, business, singing, cooking, dancing and modeling, you’d think that nothing from that genre could surprise us anymore. Except, say, I don’t know, So You Think You Can Collage? or Australia’s Next Top Dumpster Chef. This, though, this is surprising; Foxtel have just announced the launch of a The Recruit, a ten-part competition series giving twelve amateur footballers from around the country the chance to play their way into a professional AFL contract.
And, as the rules of the reality genre dictate, you need a celebrity elder statesman to tell all the contestants what they’re doing wrong. Enter Brisbane Lions great Michael Voss.
“What an exciting project,” Voss said, “It is an opportunity to work with new recruits who missed out on their first chance and now have another pathway into the AFL. The Recruit will provide a unique experience for the viewer to see what it takes to be an AFL player. I am looking forward to coaching these guys in what will be a 10 week intensive program that will test them on every level and uncover our next AFL star.”
The decorated Brownlow Medal winner and triple premiership captain formed one of the most prolific midfields of all time with the early 2000’s Brisbane Lions and later served as coach until his dismissal in August, a blessing in disguise for both his television career and life expectancy.
To qualify you must be good at football (duh!), male, over the age of 20 as of 31 December 2013, not be there to make friends, never have been on an AFL list and must not have played a senior VFL, SANFL or WAFL match in either of the last two seasons. If you meet that criteria you can apply now at www.fox8.tv.
The ten-part series will air sometime next year on FOX8.
