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Half of the AFLs ruckmen may one day hail from America, the leagues national and international talent manager?Kevin Sheehan believes. ?The AFL last week bade farewell to the latest two imports invited to try out for the Australian sport -- Stanislas Heili and Brandon Nazione, who both impressed at the American draft combine in April this year. ?Frenchman Heili -- who stands a centimetre short of seven feet at 212.3cm, making him the tallest player ever tested for AFL -?played basketball at Lindenwood University in Missouri and Nazione, whose sporting background includes American football, soccer and baseball, played with Eastern Michigan Eagles in college. ? ?The duo was flown to Melbourne to learn more about the chaotic Australian game, as Nazione described it, in the hope of potentially joining a club as a category B rookie. ?The pair trained under the watchful eye of six clubs while in Australia - Port Adelaide, Melbourne, St Kilda, Richmond, North Melbourne and Essendon. ?While neither said they were fully committed to joining a club if offered a contract -- Heili needs to complete the final year of his masters in computer engineering, while Nazione has offers to play professional basketball in Europe -- Sheehan said the AFL was taking a long-term view. ? ?[These guys] were hand-picked for their size. Australia only has 23 million people, and we cant find enough [tall athletes] to fulfil our needs, Sheehan told ESPN. ? ?I think half the clubs would need another ruckman every year, so nine or 10 very big guys who have all the attributes of size, athleticism, courage, eye-hand coordination [are needed each year]. That [need] has been identified and the last four or five years weve worked ... to see if we can address that. ?Weve got [St Kilda ruckman] Jason Holmes, [Collingwoods] Mason Cox through from the small numbers that have come [to Australia] and Matt Korcheck is doing very well at Carlton in VFL in just his first year, so all the indications are that this can work. ?Its early days. Only a handful have ever come out ... but in 50 years or so half the ruckmen in the AFL might well be Americans - thats probably the vision.Theres enormous potential in it. ?Holmes, Cox opened doors for U.S athletes - KorcheckSheehan said he hoped the AFL would soon be viewed as a legitimate option for American athletes who failed to make the top level in their chosen sports. ?We know were in competition with European basketball, other sports and [professional] careers ... we have to compete in that space, he said. ? ?With only about 60 making the NBA each year, theres still some wonderful athletes [available] ... if we can win their hearts and minds and give them opportunities, there may be another Mason Cox somewhere. ?Nazione and Heili view Cox -- who made a dramatic debut for Collingwood in front of more than 85,000 people at the MCG in April -- and Holmes - who became the first born-and-bred American to play AFL late last season - as trailblazers. ?They spent time with Cox, the former Oklahoma State basketballer during their time in Melbourne, picking his brain about his journey, his new sport and living in Australia.The pair also watched several AFL matches during their time Down Under, both men shocked at the running power and physicality on display. ? ?Nazione said he believed many of his basketball skills would translate to AFL if he did eventually take a chance on the sport. ? ?The most translatable skills [are] jumping, cutting from basketball, lots of quick movements which can be used on a footy field, the 198cm?athlete told ESPN. ?Im definitely [attracted to] the chaotic nature of the game - I like how open the game is and the skills are awesome too ... but my family isnt keen about it, because its such a tough sport physically! ?Both said they had plenty to think about during their return flights to America and France respectively. ? ? ?Im up in the air about it, Nazione said. Im not completely 100 percent [certain about, hypothetically] if I get an offer today, Ill sign. ? ?Itll be something Ill have to discuss with my family and, with basketball, Ive got opportunities to play professionally - I actually signed with [German second-tier club] Bayer Giants Leverkusen. So, Ill definitely do one of the two but it has to be the right situation either way. ? ?Heili said he was also unsure of his intentions. ? ?I need one more year for my masters - I cant do it online, I have to be in France, he said. I also have offers to play basketball in France. ? ?Australia is opposite side of the world to France, so it would be a big decision for me. It could be a great experience here, but Im not 100 percent sure. Jay Novacek Cowboys Jersey . 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AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Matt Kenseth stood by his car and tried to remain calm after he saw a potential victory and Chase for the Sprint Cup championship berth vanish in a wreck in NASCAR overtime Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway.Kenseth was leading and in control of the Can-Am 500 when the caution came out for a Michael McDowell wreck with less than two laps remaining.On the ensuing restart, he tried to cut in front of Alex Bowman and ended up crashed.Is there anything I can do or say right now to make it better? Kenseth said. The only thing I can really do or say right now is make things worse. Im really trying not to do that.But it was pretty clear that it was a devastating night for Kenseth, who won a championship in 2003 and still seeks another in a career that likely has only a few more years left.Disappointed would put it lightly, Kenseth said. It finished our season. Five minutes before that, it looked like we were going to have a chance to go race for a championship.Kenseths spotter, Chris Crazy Osborne, took the blame for the accident, saying he had cleared Kenseth to the inside.Its a team effort, Kenseth said. We win as a team; we lose as a team. I cant blame Chris. I didnt really see what happened. He said I was clear, so I started looking toward the corner. I got turned around.Things happen in a hurry. I dont know if Alex just drove in there in front of me or I wasnt clear.Bowman was apologetic but didnt think he did much wrong. Kyle Busch was critical, saying that Bowman chopped down on him, so he tagged Bowman, who then was in position to be inside Kenseth when Kenseth thought he was clear.There is not really anything I can do when the spotter clears you and Im inside of you, Bowman said. I hate that it happened. Its very disappointing. I never would intentionally do that. I was just running my line and got turned sideways by the 18 [of Kyle Busch] and the next thing I know the 20 [of Kenseth] is driving across my nose.Its unfortunate. I dont think many people will be that hung up on it. If people were going to be that hung up on it, hed be down here screaming at me now.Kenseth wasnt screaming much. He was devastated.It probably hurts more in a way, but what are you going to do? Kenseth said. You dont know how many chances you are going to have [to win another championship]. We had a really good car and a really good chance.Xfinity Series: A close call with lug nutsElliott Sadler advanced to the championship but will be without his crew chief after NASCAR officials found two loose lug nuts after the race at Phoenix.The penalty for having them loose is a $10,000 fine and a one-race crew chief suspension. Sadler crew chief Kevin Meendering likely will be replaced by Ryan Pemberton.If three lug nuts were loose -- meaning with a lug not touching the wheel -- Sadler would have been docked 35 points and missed the cut. Both Sadler and Xfinity Series director Wayne Auton said there never was discussion of a third lug nut loose.Its going to be tough, man, Sadler said. No driver wants to go to Hoomestead with a chance of legitimately winning a championship and not have your right-hand man sidekick with you.ddddddddddddBut we still have a chance to go win it. We cant count ourselves out.Sadler now has a shot at the title along with Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones and Justin Allgaier.Jones leads the finalists with four wins this season; Sadler has three.Everybody is going to be on top of their game, and you just have to do what you can to have a fast car and be up there running with them and then put yourself in a position to a least have a chance at it, Jones said.Suarez, who has an average finish of 3.1 in the Chase, is optimistic.There are a lot of people that are going to start thinking about how cool it is going to be, Suarez said. I have to think about how Im going to make it happen. I have to do the work, and thats exactly what Im going to do.Allgaier doesnt have a win this year but still has a shot at the title.We all four have run together all [year] long, Allgaier said. Homestead is going to be no different.Advancing to the owners championship were the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 team (Matt Tifft to drive at Homestead), Team Penske No. 22 (Ryan Blaney) and the Suarez and Sadler cars.Camping World Truck Series: Three veterans, one rookieWhile three veterans (Johnny Sauter, Matt Crafton and Timothy Peters) and one rookie (Christopher Bell) advanced into the championship hunt, the driver with six wins this year -- rookie William Byron -- didnt advance as his engine blew while leading with 11 laps left at Phoenix.Byron will move from Kyle Busch Motorsports to join JR Motorsports next year as a Hendrick development driver.I would never take back the wins weve had, Byron said. Its gotten me to a new level, its gotten this team to a new level with confidence and performance.I would never trade those. Those were awesome moments for my team. I was hoping to share another one of those tonight, and it just didnt happen.Sauter, with two wins and a second-place finish in the semifinal round, has to feel like a favorite.Id like to think [were the ones to beat], he said. Anything can happen. ... Youre going to have to go down there and be aggressive and also be a little bit smart.Crafton has won two titles and seeks a third. Crafton: I dont think theres anybody that has an advantage, its whoever has the best truck and the best man will win that night.Peters is looking for his first title.Weve been lucky a lot of times and maybe finished some races that we probably shouldnt have, he said. Homestead is a pretty decent track for us, so [were] looking forward to going down there and seeing what weve got.Bell also is looking for his first title and got in thanks to Byrons engine failure.In the owners championship, it will be the Byron (the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 9 team made it in because the Red Horse Racing team of Peters didnt make the owners Chase), Sauter, Crafton and Bell trucks. ' ' '