Former West Adelaide star John Noble impressing at Collingwood after debuting in upset victory
He was one of the SANFL players selected in the mid-season draft just two months ago. And now, ex-West Adelaide midfielder John Noble is aiming to hold his spot for Collingwood’s finals tilt.
From playing in front of 2000 people at Richmond Oval, to more than 56,000 in a parochial Optus Stadium — it has been a whirlwind two months for former West Adelaide star John Noble.
Collingwood selected the midfielder with pick 14 at the mid-season draft in May and handed him a debut on Friday night for the crunch game against West Coast in Perth.
And the 22-year-old impressed, gathering 18 disposals in an upset Magpies win, to once again prove wrong doubters who had believed he was too small and overlooked him as a junior.
“It’s been very overwhelming the whole experience,” Noble, a 180cm, 72kg speedster, told SEN radio on Thursday.
“If somebody told me that I’d be playing against West Coast in round 17 in a win in Perth, I’d probably think you were kidding.
“It’s a dream come true.
“To chase something for so long and for it to finally happen is very special.
“I’ve had a few doubters but I think that just builds character and resilience in a person, let alone a player.
“And I think that’s something that’s always driven me to get better and prove them wrong.”
Noble was named in the Bloods’ best in four of his seven SANFL matches this year but said attention from AFL clubs only started heating up near the mid-season draft.
Even on draft day, Noble was unsure if he would land on a list.
“Certainly clubs showed a certain amount of interest but a club didn’t literally say ‘we’ll pick you if you’re there’,” he said.
“It was watch and hope for the best.”
Noble said his main aim after joining the Magpies was to “go about my business as I usually do and earn the respect of the entire club, not just the players and coaching staff”.
Now he is determined to make his opportunity count and is up for the task of trying to retain his spot as the second-placed Magpies made their finals tilt.
“It’s an exciting challenge,” he said.
Off the field, a new housemate has helped Noble settle into Melbourne — his former West Adelaide teammate and fellow mid-season draftee Will Snelling, now with Essendon.
“It’s good to come home to a familiar face and sharing that experience with Snells is really special,” Noble said.
“He has been in the (AFL) system (with Port Adelaide) for a few years so he really helped me with what to expect.”
His family, including his dad, Brisbane football manager David Noble, and twin brother and and South Adelaide player Mark Noble, have also provided tremendous support.
Noble said no one was more stoked for him than Mark, who with him battled through being born “very, very premature”.
“We’re very close and have a very unique and tight relationship in being identical twins and he couldn’t be happier for me,” he said.
“That was something special we spoke about over the phone and an experience we’ll remember forever.”
