US college basketballer Oscar Berry has signed with Melbourne as a category B rookie for the 2026 AFL season.
Standing at 194cm, the Demons' newest recruit comes from a wealth of basketball experience in America, suiting up for the University of North Florida.
It is understood that Berry did trials earlier in the year with North Melbourne, Essendon and the Western Bulldogs, as well as having met with Geelong and St Kilda figures.
"Yeah, it's exciting," Berry told Melbourne Media.
"I've been eager to get over here for a long time, so it's pretty surreal being here at the club and taking it all in. I'm just excited.
"Moving over to the States, the one thing that was holding me back was missing footy.
"I'm super excited to get back to the game and play a sport that I've been playing since I was six."
Berry added that he struggled to find someone in America to kick the footy with, but since being back in Australia, he's had no trouble.
New senior coach Steven King has already outlined where they see his football, and what the next two years can look like.
"It was really development-focused, especially since I've been out of the game for so long," Berry explained.
"They really took the time to explain how they'd develop me into a player that could impact the game. With Kingy coming in, it's a brand-new vision and a fun style of football, and I'm really excited for it."
Melbourne AFL list manager Tim Lamb was "impressed" with Berry's trial earlier in the year, and was happy to announce his two-year contract.
"We're excited to welcome Oscar to the club for at least the next two seasons," Lamb said.
"We had Oscar down for a trial earlier this year and were really impressed. He's got great athleticism and aerial craft, and strong potential to develop into a key defender for us.
"We think Oscar will be a fantastic addition to our mix and look forward to him joining us next month."
Berry grew up in Australia, and played in the EDFL for Aberfeldie, as well as being selected in the Western Jets U15 program.
His family moved to Florida when he was 16, where he took a great focus on basketball.
Berry falls under category B rookie status given that he has not been registered to play in any football competition over the past three years.
The selection has generally seen a lot of cross-code athletic prospects, such as Collingwood premiership player Mason Cox and Western Bulldogs defender James O'Donnell.
The mechanism is also reserved for Irish athletes, who predominantly play Gaelic football before making the switch to Australian rules.
Berry comes from a strong sporting family, with his brother, Jordan, spending eight years with NFL organisations Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings, while his other brother, Wilson, is currently signed as a punter with the University of Kentucky.
On top of the 23-year-old, the Demons welcomed Jack Steele, Brody Mihocek, Changkuoth Jiath and Max Heath via the recent trade period.
