Tony Olango Biography

Tony Olango's AFL future rests in the hands of two clubs at opposite ends of Australia.

West Coast and Geelong are both considering recruiting the 201cm jack-in-the-box ruckman in Monday's NAB AFL Rookie Draft.

Olango is set to relocate from Darwin to Perth to be closer to family if his name is not called – with the Eagles willing to help – and he plans to continue to pursue his AFL dream in that scenario.

Exciting ruck prospect Tony Olango has joined Hawthorn's next generation academy.

Olango, 18, who was born in Kenya to South Sudanese parents, will be part of the club's academy program in the Northern Territory.

The 200cm big man was unlucky to be overlooked in last year's NAB AFL Draft and possesses some unique skills for a player of his height.

Olango registered top-10 finishes in the running vertical jump and 20m-sprint tests at last year's Combine.

"He’s an exciting prospect with his height and great athleticism," Hawthorn list manager Graham Wright said.

"He has only played a handful of games, so we can expect to see plenty of development.

"Joining our academy will assist his understanding of the game, and help to fast-track his growth."