Former Hamilton man Lachlan Kanoniuk may not have been blessed with a piercing kick or strong overhead mark, but the 31-year-old has demonstrated a clear ability to take the mickey.
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Kanoniuk played one game for the Hamilton Kangaroos' reserves in 2017 and hasn't graced the Hampden league since.
But the music writer, who long ago rejected his father's team, Geelong, in favour of the Western Bulldogs, whose colours resembled Hamilton Imperials, has been testing out the AFL's application process by making himself available for a couple of drafts.
And Kanoniuk gained national media attention after being the oldest of more than 300 players to nominate for the league's mid-season draft on May 27.
"I am just keeping my career prospects open in my ripe old age," he said.
"You never know, some clubs might want to roll the dice.
"I have dropped about 18 kegs since the last draft. They might be tracking that and say, 'he is having a dip'."
Hamilton Kangaroos coach Matt Dunn, who coached Kanoniuk for St Mary's Monivae in the junior competition way back in 2002, was contacted by a Melbourne newspaper for information on the draft nominee.
"I had a chuckle because I never saw him as an aspiring AFL player," Dunn said.
"And I don't think he's played much footy in the last 10 to 15 years."
But Dunn said he was all for both Kanoniuk's efforts and the mid-season draft itself, the first since 1993.
"It's a great opportunity for some players to put their hand up," he said. "So I definitely see it as a positive for the league."
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