When I was 15, I dreamed about playing football for Australia, but it was a different shaped ball to the one I kick around these days.
Growing up, I played a lot of Aussie Rules but in my mid teens, soccer appealed most and I started to take it more seriously.
A few years later, I turned back to the Sherrin for the sole reason of having a kick with my mates and having fun, nothing more.
Before long, our routine weekend kick became an interest I dedicated a lot of time and effort to.
Little did I know, it would lead to me being drafted by North Melbourne at the end of 2017.
That year, I was in Year 12 at Melbourne High trying my best to make the Vic Metro squad but I was cut after the first round.
It hurt badly at the time, but I thought, 'If I’m not good enough, I’m not good enough' and concentrated on playing simply for the love for the game with the Sandringham Dragons.
As soon as I took that pressure off myself, I played my best footy.
I put together a solid run, and because the likes of Andrew Brayshaw, Nathan Murphy and Charlie Constable - who were three of the seven players drafted from the Dragons - were in my side, the recruiters were regulars at our matches.
What also helped my form was the fact that I had other interests and priorities away from football.
I was doing VCE, captained my school netball team to the state final, hung out with my mates, and most importantly, spent time with my family (who are from the UK).
At the mid-point of the season I received a phone call from a friend, telling me I’d been invited to the Draft Combine.
Being drafted seemed like such a long way away at that point so I didn’t even consider checking whether I’d even received an invite.
The news gave me belief once again, but I wasn’t getting too ahead of myself especially after being cut by Vic Metro.
As the Dragons season came to end, interviews with recruiters from AFL clubs began. Given I’d never had a job through high school, it was pretty daunting and I wasn’t the best when it came to job interviews.
However the more and more interviews I had, the more comfortable I became and I was able to show the recruiters who I really was.
At the conclusion of my exams, there was a two week period before draft night. It could have been nerve-racking 14 days, but I made sure I got away from everything with my mates and took my mind off things.
The season was over, the testing was done and the interviews were all complete, I no longer had any control.
Draft day was a normal Friday for me. I played basketball with my mates, and when I returned home at around 4pm, my mum was quick to ask how I was dealing with everything.
Like I had been all year, I was relatively unfazed, because I still had no real expectations.
I watched the draft with family and friends at a mate’s house because we didn’t have Foxtel and I remained level-headed when the selections commenced - I thought if there was any chance of being recruited, it would be very late in the night or even via the Rookie Draft, if at all.
At pick 23, Brad Scott read my name out ... I was floored. It came as a genuine surprise.
Not only did I not expect to be taken that early, but I never felt I'd spoken all that well to the North recruiting team during my interviews.
I was over the moon to say the least.
So while a lot of potential draftees would be extremely nervous at this time of year, I felt my ability to switch off and live the normal life of an 18-year-old helped me cope best.
It's funny looking back and thinking about what would have happened if I had've stuck with the round ball - but regardless, I couldn't be happier with path I ended up taking because it led me straight to Arden Street.
