The Port Adelaide scholarship is a fully funded trip awarded by the Magpies to an American player on our roster to provide them an opportunity to spend a month training with a professional Australian Football Club in Australia (the Port Adelaide Magpies in South Australia, one of our sister clubs) and to experience a slice of life in Australia.

The scholarship is awarded annually, and is made available through fund raising events held by the club throughout the season. The scholarship program continues the Magpies goal of introducing Australian Football to new players in New York and throughout the United States.

• 2004 scholarship recipient: Joe Discepola – trip report.
• 2003 scholarship recipient: Ojas Desai – trip report.

The recipient of the inaugural scolarship in 2003 was Ojas Desai, who caused quite a bit of interest as evidenced by the newspaper articles and radio interviews below. In 2004, Joe Discepola followed in footsteps of Ojas Desai by travelling to Adelaide, Australia in March 2004, to experience a slice of life at the elite Australian professional football club, Port Adeliade Magpies. Joe spent 3 weeks training with Port Adeliade and learning the finer points of Australian Football (and Australian culture) from the coaching staff.

The Port Adelaide Magpies compete in the local South Australian competition, the SANFL, and is the feeder club for Port Adelaide in the national competition, the AFL. After a stellar introduction to Australian Football last season, Joe is training hard to make an impression with our Port Adelaide counterparts.