Draft prospect Callum Ah Chee says brother Brendon has helped him achieve his AFL dream

WA excitement machine Callum Ah Chee has paid tribute to his older brother — Port Adelaide’s Brendon — for his rise to becoming one of this year’s top AFL draft prospects. Andrew Capel reports.

23/11/2015 Top AFL draft prospects Callum Ah Chee and Matthew Kennedy at East Terrace today. Pic Mark Brake

WA excitement machine Callum Ah Chee has paid tribute to his older brother — Port Adelaide’s Brendon — for his rise to becoming one of this year’s top AFL draft prospects.

High-leaping forward/midfielder Callum says learning from Brendon’s experiences at Port Adelaide has been “awesome for me’’ and a key reason he will on Tuesday night find an AFL home.

Callum, who famously took a spectacular mark for the AFL Academy in the goalsquare at the MCG in April, is touted as a possible top-10 pick.

The 18-year-old said he wouldn’t be in this position without the support and trials and tribulations of Brendon, who was drafted by the Power at pick 45 from South Fremantle at the 2011 national draft but took four seasons to make his AFL debut.

Brendon, 21, debuted against North Melbourne in round three this season and played 11 games to illustrate he has a bright future.

“He’s taught me everything,’’ Callum said.

“He’s in the system and he’s been through exactly the same thing so it’s good to have him there as a mentor and he’s obviously told me what to expect.

“I’ve seen it first hand — (Brendon’s) had a pretty inconsistent career due to injuries and things like that.

“He’s told me it’s been hard, it’s hard work and you can’t expect things to come easy.

“He’s been awesome for me and has kind of made it a bit more real for me.”

Callum arrived in Adelaide from WA on Sunday and has stayed with Brendon in the lead-up ti the draft, to be staged at the Adelaide Convention Centre.

It would take a miracle for Callum to join Brendon at the Power because the club’s first pick isn’t until No. 32 and is likely to be pushed further back because of bidding on academy players.

“I’m just happy to go to any club because to get drafted would be a dream come true,’’ Callum said.

Callum, 181cm and 72kg, is 7cm shorter and 12kg lighter than Brendon and more of an aerialist.

“Marking is a strong point of my game and I do pride myself on it,’’ Callum said.

“But I think we are pretty similar players, although he’s obviously a bit bigger and stronger and has developed his inside game fairly quickly.’’

While Ah Chee cut a happy-go-lucky figure in Adelaide on Monday, fellow top-10 prospect Matthew Kennedy was far more nervous.

This is despite appearing a lock to go to GWS as an academy player.

“I am pretty nervous to be honest,’’ he said.

“Even though people think I am going to go to the Giants I honestly don’t know, so it’s scary — good nerves and bad nerves I guess.’’

Originally published as Draft prospect Callum Ah Chee says brother Brendon has helped him achieve his AFL dream