Miller played his first AFL game for the Otago Boys’ School in 2010 against the university team, Otago Riot. It was in his second game that he took a high mark well above his opponents in the pack and set up several scoring opportunities from the wing where it became clear Ben had potential to play AFL.
In February 2011 he travelled to Auckland for the NZ under 20 National Provincial Championships playing for Wellington. Showing his potential, Ben was selected to play for the NZ U20's against VAFA and NZ U16 Oceania Cup 2011 where he was instrumental in the team’s success.
Gilham met with the Hawks’ four New Zealand recruits last week at an Australia Day function at the Australian High Commission in Wellington, with Miller (17) joining other International Scholarship holders Shem Tatupu (16), Kurt Heatherley (17) and Rhys Panui-Leth (17).
In an historic occasion (the first time an Australian side has played a New Zealand team), the New Zealand Hawks took on the AIS-AFL Academy level One Squad at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, with the AIS-AFL win by a massive 91 points.
Hawthorn's 191cm scholarship holder Kurt Heatherley took out New Zealand's best player award for the match.
View profiles on the Club's International Scholarship holders.
Final score
New Zealand 6.3 (39)
Australia 19.16 (130)
Hawks defender Stephen Gilham with the Club's four International Scholarship holders.
(L-R): Ben Miller, Rhys Panui-Leth, Kurt Heatherley and Shem Tatupu with their NZ Hawks guernseys.
