Ned Cahill from Mt Eliza to make Essendon debut

Ned Cahill has always been driven to succeed as a footballer, even giving up junk food at the age of 12. Now the Mt Eliza teenager is about to make his AFL debut.

Ned Cahill at Essendon training on the Gold Coast on Wednesday. Picture: Michael Klein

A footballer who gave up junk food at 12 so he could get the best out of himself will make his AFL debut this weekend.

Ned Cahill, from Mt Eliza via the Dandenong Stingrays, will line-up with Essendon against the Western Bulldogs on Friday night.

The speedy small forward has been in sparkling form in Essendon’s scratch matches, including a five-goal haul against North Melbourne last week.

“He’s never stopped believing,’’ a proud Mick Cahill said of his son.

Cahill made the decision to eat healthy after missing out on the Victorian 12 and under football team in 2013.

Ned Cahill at Mt Eliza after making a Victorian side in 2016. Picture: Jason Sammon

Dad Mick remembers it well.

“As we drove down the eastern freeway there was a tear. No big carry on, just a tear. I said to him, ‘let’s stop and get something nice, mate’, and he said, ‘nup’,” Mick recalled.

His dedication started to pay off when he was selected in the School Sport Victoria 15 Years and Under football team in 2016.

Cahill came through the Dandenong Stingrays program and was drafted by Essendon last November.

In the lead up to the draft, Stingrays coach Nick Cox described him as “the modern footballer’’.

“He knows where the ball is going before it gets there,’’ Cox said.

Cahill celebrates a goal for the Dandenong Stingrays last season. Picture: Michael Dodge

Mick said he and his wife Jenny were bursting with pride that their son will live out his dream.

They will watch the game on television.

Mick said Ned played soccer before having to be “tricked’’ into playing Aussie Rules.

“He didn’t want to go to footy training, but most of his mates had started footy from Mt Eliza Primary School,’’ he said.

“So I actually had to trick Ned, and say, ‘Look, how about you go around to Luca Goonan’s for a play’…and they’ve actually taken him down for his first training session. He didn’t want to play footy.’’

Cahill will face off against his former Stingrays teammate Cody Weightman, who will also make his AFL debut with the Western Bulldogs on Friday night.

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