Saints recruit basketball giant into AFL

St Kilda hope Sam Alabakis is their Mason Cox.

The Saints have recruited the 211cm basketballer as an AFL category B rookie.

The 21-year-old from Perth has played for the last three years at the University of Louisiana Monroe.

Alabakis has also been in the Perth Wildcats development squad.

He is as tall as Cox and Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands.

"I never thought I'd get the chance to play AFL, but the club has been really encouraging and welcoming, and I can't wait to get started and repay the faith they've shown in me," Alabakis said.

Cox's demolition of reigning premiers Richmond in the second quarter of last month's preliminary final has highlighted the potential rewards for AFL clubs in experimenting with basketballers.

The Collingwood key forward took three towering marks and kicked three goals in 10 minutes, putting the Tigers out of the match.

Cox then had a quiet first half in the grand final loss to West Coast, but went into defence and was much more influential.

American basketballer Jason Holmes played five games for the Saints between 2015-16 and was delisted at the end of last season.