Abas makes an impact

MIRBOO North’s athletic footballer Isaac Abas at 6’ 7” (200.66cm) is not only impressive for his height but the impact he is having on the outcome of the Tigers’ seniors team.
People may ask why a South Sudanese born man raised in Nairobi, Kenya who has lived in Australia for 10 years is playing football; and not soccer.
He still plays soccer, his ‘natural’ game, for the Morwell Falcons on a Sunday.
Club notable George ‘Hal’ St Ellen describes Isaac Abas as a ‘project player.’
Mr St Ellen said, “When he was little, 11 or 12 years old, Matthew Snell, the current principal of Mirboo North Primary School who was then teaching in Morwell, brought some Sudanese boys across to play with the Thirds and Fourths.”
The 20 year old was invited to consider returning at the beginning of last season and he did.
Now in his second season Isaac Abas has become an important member of the team, its ruckman.
Mr St Ellen said, “He’s very athletic and does things that big men normally can’t do.
He’s like a cat; he can tackle an opponent from metres away and he’s getting better all the time.”
“He’s very popular – everyone loves him.”
Carrying an injury and unable to play on Saturday, I took Isaac Abas aside while the rest of the team went through their pre-game preparations.
In the 30 minute interview, two club supporters came to wish him well.
Each time he rose to shake his fan’s hand and accept his best wishes graciously.
Pommy Paul, having wished the ruckman good luck said, “He has really bonded with the club.”
Abas said, “My height, being naturally fit, my agility and athleticism are advantages to me as a footballer.
“I have heaps of stamina and can keep running which is another big advantage.”
Player coach Clancy Bennett said he is a positive energy on the team and although he still has a lot to learn about playing Aussie Rules he only has to be shown once and adapts quickly.
“He is committed to the club,” the coach said.
Abas said that with a soccer background, his AFL ability is not yet as good as his team mates who have grown up with the game.
He said a lot of the key skills of each game such as the ability to read the play are transferrable.
Of the club Abas said, “It is a beautiful club. It has made me feel welcome and it feels as if I have been here a long time.”
The quietly spoken confidence of the young man has, he says, a lot to do with the generosity of people in the education community .
In Kenya he said he wasn’t exposed to much education or being around different cultures.
He said when he was at primary school in Morwell, teachers like Matt Snell and more recently others since completing secondary school have provided him with opportunity and support in the sporting field as well as providing him with career advice.
Chris Joustra, the principal of Morwell Park Primary School offered Abas employment as a teachers’ aid and he is clearly, as with football and soccer, committed to his role which he said has revealed to him wider career options than the future as a physical education teacher he had mapped out for himself.
He now sees the advantage of pursuing a multi-disciplined approach to teaching.
Isaac Abas will grow in influence on and off the sporting field.

Tall timber: measured alongside 5’ 11” team mate Jack Robertson, one of the shorter Mirboo North players, it is clear why Isaac Abas at 6’ 7” stands out on the playing field and attracts play his way like a magnet.

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Posted by Sarah Vella on May 4 2016. Filed under Sport. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry