Calder Cannons forward Hisham Kerbatieh determined to make the most of his natural talent by earning AFL chance

A REALITY check during his early years at Calder Cannons proved a defining moment for Hisham Kerbatieh in his pursuit of an AFL career.

Hisham Kerbatieh draft profile

RICK Kerbatieh will never forget the moment he realised his son had the application to be drafted.

Hisham Kerbatieh had always been a gifted junior footballer, showcasing his quality from the first match he played as a seven-year-old with Roxburgh Park.

But the energetic forward was given a reality check during his early years with Calder Cannons, told in no uncertain terms to improve his fitness if he wanted to make the grade at TAC Cup level.

After copping a bake in front of his teammates at training, Hisham jumped in the car alongside his dad for the drive home to Meadow Heights.

All Rick wanted to do was comfort his son, even offering to pull him from the Cannons program.

But Hisham was having none of it, telling his father he would walk or ride the 12km to training to prove himself at Calder.

“At the end of the day, it was the one defining moment at the Cannons where I thought I don’t want him to play footy anymore,” Rick said.

“It was the first time in my life that I thought he could just go back to local (football).

“He just said, ‘be quiet dad, it’s part of footy. They’re yelling at me for my benefit’.

“That just showed their faith in him and his faith in them.”

Like most parents, Rick remembers being overcome by nerves the day Hisham played his first game.

But he should not have been worried.

Minutes into his first taste of competitive football, Hisham showcased the natural talent which remains a feature of his game.

“In the first quarter, within a couple of minutes, Hisham was on the wing and the ball came down to him,” Rick said.

“He put it under his arm, took two bounces and kicked a goal from about 30m out.

“I thought, ‘dear God, he can play footy’.”

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Kerbatieh is considered one of the Cannons’ top prospects after being invited to this year’s AFL Draft Combine.

The Hadfield junior booted 46 goals from 28 TAC Cup matches over the past two years, attracting the attention of at least six AFL clubs.

Hisham Kerbatieh has attracted interest from six AFL clubs. Picture: Josie Hayden.

Kerbatieh has met with Essendon, Carlton, Hawthorn, Geelong, Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney this year.

“I went through the midfield a bit more and got my fitness up to a decent level,” Hisham said.

“Football-wise, I was pretty happy. (But) I could have done more.”

Calder coach Andrew Johnston said Kerbatieh was capable of “special things”.

“He can turn a game upside down pretty quickly,” Johnston said.

“His explosive speed and use of the ball is sensational.

“He’s got to work on his defensive attributes a bit, but that improved significantly over the year.”

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Kerbatieh has been training with his mentor Adam Saad in recent weeks.

The dashing Gold Coast half-back flanker, who was drafted from Coburg after playing with Calder, has become one of Kerbatieh’s closest friends.

“I look at him like an older brother now,” Kerbatieh said.

“I can tell him what’s on my mind. If something is upsetting me I’ll tell him, if something is good I’ll tell him as well.”

The pair acted as mentors for other aspiring Muslim footballers during this year’s Bachar Houli Academy, with the Richmond defender another source of inspiration for Kerbatieh.

“The difference between (Saad) and Bachar is Bachar got in and cemented his spot,” Kerbatieh said.

“Adam had to work a different pathway, going through the VFL.

“Sometimes I look at that and (think) if I don’t get drafted, hopefully I can go to the VFL and perform there.”

Kerbatieh already has a catalogue of awards he can reflect proudly on.

The 18-year-old received the Bachar Houli Academy medal in 2014, represented the World XVIII at the Under-16 National Championships and has been an ever-present in the Cannons’ TAC Cup team for the past two years.

He will have a large extended family supporting him on draft night, including his four siblings.

“I swear, we number into the thousands,” Rick said.

Originally published as Calder Cannons forward Hisham Kerbatieh determined to make the most of his natural talent by earning AFL chance