I, LIKE most people born in Perth, take more than a passing interest in AFL. Like most of those people, I also support the Eagles. And like virtually every Eagles fan at present, I’m somewhat taken by a case of Naitanui-mania.

For those who aren't familiar with the Fijian-Australian, Perth based AFL footballer (and I guess that would include most GC Utd fans) he has, after just 2 games, emerged as a real cult hero in the AFL. He only managed three kicks on the weekend, but all of them were goals. Two of those goals would probably not have been possible by any other player in the league. He wouldn't have been in the top five players on the ground, but he received a standing ovation from the crowd and was in all the headlines on Sunday.

So what does Nick Naitanui have to do with GC United? Well on the same Saturday on another Pacific island in New Caledonia, another youngster with overseas heritage was showing all the makings of another cult hero.

Gol-Gol Mebrahtu on name alone is already getting United fans excited. His goal and assist against New Caledonia showed he also has some ability to back-up the hype. He may not have been man of the match, but take a quick look at all the news articles on the club in the last few days and Gol-Gol's name will be the most prominent by far.

The youngster, born in Eritrea, raised in Sudan and fleeing as a refugee to Australia, was signed up to a three year contract by Miron Bleiberg this weekend. While he's expected to play mostly out of the National Youth League side, it seems certain we'll be seeing some of the 18 year old in the senior team this season. His performances in the friendlies against New Caledonia and North Queensland certainly suggest he's up to the task as well.

Most excitingly about Gol-Gol, whether or not he stars for the team, he's just the sort of player that gets a crowd excited. Few players in football have that unique ability to captivate their audience. Whether it's an unusual background story, exceptional physical and athletic ability or simply a willingness to try the unexpected on the field, these players are worth their weight in gold for any marketing department and can single-handedly invigorate a team, crowd and match.

A look at United's stars and while the likes of Culina, Smeltz, Porter and Vanstrattan among others are impressive, none of them really stand out as having that ‘X-factor' that someone like Gol-Gol provides. Like the Socceroos, even if the team is winning fans will inevitably cry out if the team lacks style. Whether or not this is fair, it is reality and someone like Mebrahtu is an obvious cure for Bleiberg if he wants to keep the fans happy.

As an Eagles fan, I'm excited about Nick Naitanui. And as a Gold Coast fan, I'm excited about Gol-Gol Mebrahtu. My dream? To see Gol-Gol emulate Naitanui and score three goals against the reigning premiers. A headline writer's dream... "Goal, goal, goal for Gol-Gol!"