Adelaide has applied to the AFL to add 23-year-old former US College basketballer Ben Dowdell to the club’s rookie list under the League’s ‘alternative talent’ rule.

Dowdell, originally from Nowra in New South Wales, has returned to Australia after four years playing basketball for Santa Clara in the NCAA Division One West Coast Conference.

Because the 201cm, 98kg, athlete has played in a recognised elite sporting competition and hasn’t been registered with any football club in the previous three years, he can be listed as an alternative talent without going through the draft system.

The same concession allowed Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney to recruit ex-rugby league stars Karmichael Hunt and Israel Folau.

Each club is able to list one player under the alternative talent rule.

Football Operations General Manager Phil Harper said Dowdell, who dabbled in football as a child, would be a “project” player for the club.

“Ben’s manager Paul Bell from MVP Sports has alerted us to quite a few basketballers, who have contemplated turning their hand to football,” Harper said.

“To date we haven’t committed to any, but after a couple of sessions with our club’s development coaches Ben impressed enough for us to commit to him for season 2012.

“We would like our members and supporters to understand that this is a project with someone with great athletic ability, but a very minimal football background and that patience with Ben will be a key ingredient in this project.”

Dowdell is the younger brother of NBL player Jeff Dowdell, who spent a season with the Adelaide 36ers and is currently playing for the Cairns Taipans, where Ben also played several trial games recently.

A former Australian Institute of Sport graduate, Dowdell completed a major in mechanical engineering during his time at Santa Clara.