AFL draft 2018: Dandenong Stingray Lachie McDonnell’s AFL draft journal
The AFL Draft can make or break a young player’s dreams. In a candid diary, Dandenong Stingrays premiership player Lachie McDonnell reveals the emotions a young AFL hopeful goes through.
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In the weeks leading up to the draft, Dandenong Stingrays player Lachie McDonnell recorded his experience as an AFL hopeful.
McDonnell’s impressive season for the Stingrays took in the TAC Cup premiership and an invitation to the state combine for testing, indicating interest from AFL clubs.
The 18-year-old met officials at one Melbourne club — and even shook the hand of the CEO.
Below is the rest of his story to date, told in his own words through his diary.
Monday, November 12
It’s been just over seven weeks since the best day of my footballing life — winning the TAC Cup grand final with the Dandenong Stingrays.
It was not only my first footy premiership but also a first flag for the Stingrays.
They’re the best group of guys of all time and I will always be connected with them as the club’s first premiership players. It is a nice title to own.
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I attended the Victorian state combine at Marvel Stadium where I tested well. I was the quickest player over 20m — 2.935 seconds. My agility test, yo-yo test and vertical leap were also pretty good.
I took a couple of weeks off after the combine to allow my body to rest after an 11-month program.
The last month has been all about studying for my Year 12 exams.
It has been hectic but I finally finished my last exams last Friday. Hopefully my results will be good enough to get me into commerce at Deakin. It was sad to finish school. I love Mazenod College and will miss it.
Today is the day that footy starts again. If things don’t go to plan and I am not drafted, I want to play footy at the highest level I can.
I have accepted an invite to begin training at VFL club Frankston. It was great to catch up with 13 premiership teammates who are there as well.
It was good to get the legs moving at intensity. I have kept training during my studying at a lower intensity and as a break from the hard studying. Training went well. It was very similar to TAC Cup training although a lot of the guys are a fair bit bigger in terms of their builds. We trained for two hours. It was great to have that familiar smell of the footies and to have them back in my hands. I have missed it.
Tuesday, November 13
Despite my manager, Tim Hazell from Vivid Sports Management, telling me several clubs liked me and my game, I was yet to have a formal chat with any club since the season finished. I was starting to think it may not be my time.
Then I heard from Carlton. The Blues had contacted me prior to my exams, saying they may wish to chat after my exams were finished. They gave me no guarantees.
It was a lift in confidence no doubt and maybe there is hope that I will hear my name read out on Friday week at the draft. I arranged to meet with the Blues at Ikon Park with my parents on Friday. I can’t wait.
Wednesday, November 14
It is funny not having the structure of school every day. I managed to catch up with the last remaining episodes of Sons of Anarchy that I hadn’t seen. I had put TV on hold during the lead-up to exams. I hadn’t watched a lot of TV all year as it was hard to find time after training twice a week, doing homework, working part-time at KFC and getting up the 120 hours needed to get my licence. You sure learn to time-manage.
My other great sporting love is volleyball. I have been lucky enough to captain Victoria at under-15 and 16 level and make the Australian team despite never playing it before I started at Mazenod.
The National Schools Cup is on in the first week of December (hopefully I can’t play, which will mean that I have been drafted) but I will not take anything for granted and keep training with my mates.
It is my last chance to represent Mazenod and hopefully we can go back-to-back and win the national title in the senior open division.
From a training session at school (my coach Josh Cowan has been really good with my loads as he knows footy is my first love and he doesn’t want me to get injured) I headed for our second session with the Dolphins.
Training went well and I am learning things even in only my second session.
I head out for a late dinner with school mates who finished their exams today. My school mates have been so supportive throughout the year and been my biggest supporters.
Thursday November 15
Today I did a gym session. I don’t like to not be doing something and I know that I will need to put on muscle to be able to play at the next level. It was good to work up a sweat. The rest of the day was pretty chilled.
Friday, November 16
Today is the big day, meeting the Blues. Playing AFL has been my dream from the time I put on the Waverley Park Hawks jumper back in under-9s.
I was a little nervous but was ready to chat. The meeting went really well. I met their list manager Mick Acresta, national recruiting manager Paul Brodie and recruiting officers Dale Harris, Dale Bleach and Michael Jordan.
The Blues were fantastic. They put me at ease from the start. There were no curly questions and I thought I presented myself and spoke really well. After the meeting my parents and I toured the facilities. Talk about another level. It was unbelievable to see how a professional sporting club runs and the facilities the players have.
It would be amazing to be part of it. The players were training and despite having no clue who I was, they were all really friendly and polite as we walked through each area.
CEO Cain Liddle was on the phone with his door shut when we walked past his office. I was shocked when five minutes later and in a completely different part of the facility, Cain walked up to me, shook my hand and said “Hi Lachie, I am Cain. Welcome. It is great to have you here.’’
The Blues are in good hands with Cain, I reckon. He didn’t need to meet me but he went out of his way. I am sure it even impressed Mum and Dad despite them being mad Collingwood supporters (like I am). The Blues gave me no guarantees, as expected, but said I was in the mix and wished me well on draft night.
I left the meeting desperately hoping the Blues would pick me. I know I can play at the next level. I have the attributes that suit the modern game. I just need a chance.
I trained again at Frankston this afternoon and am now back into the swing of things and the routine of three-nights-a-week pre-season training. It is hard to believe it is 12 months since I started training for my final year of underage footy. Time flies when you are having fun.
Saturday, November 17
I umpired a couple of games of volleyball this morning. I love the game and if I can give a little back I will where possible. This afternoon I watched my 16-year-old brother Jordan playing cricket at Berwick Cricket Club. I played there as well but stopped a couple of years ago to give my best shot at footy.
Sunday, November 18
A long day at work today at KFC. I started at 1pm and worked through to 11pm as we were pretty busy. With the draft less than a week away, it was good to take my mind off it. I was pretty tired when I got home after a pretty intense week.
Monday, November 19
I had a sleep-in today. I got up and did a weights session in the hot sun. I didn’t get to training at Frankston tonight as I needed to speak with Tim and chat about the draft on Friday. It is only four sleeps away now.
Tuesday, November 20
I had a five-hour shift today at KFC. As I missed training last night, I went for a 5km run at a fairly high intensity after getting home from work.
Spent the evening kicking back and relaxing.
Wednesday, November 21
Another shift at KFC helped me keep my mind form wandering forward to Friday. It is a good way to keep me occupied. With my shift over I headed to training at Frankston. I’m really enjoying it and am back in the full swing of things.
I chatted to the coach, Danny Ryan, along with the other Stingrays boys at the end of training and he wished us well for the draft on Friday. If things work out, this will be my last training session at Frankston. They have been great to me in the two weeks I have trained there.
Thursday, November 22
It is draft day for the top 20 draft picks. I am certainly not one of them. The excitement those boys must be feeling would be superb. They all know they are going to be on an AFL list next year, they just don’t know where. I do envy them.
With just over 24 hours until I learn my fate I caught up for lunch with my great mate Jack “Chooka’’ Ross. Chooka is in the same boat as me. He had a great year with the Oakleigh Chargers and Caulfield Grammar. I am certain he will be picked.
It was good to be together at this nervous time. Chooka and I have played at the Waverley Park Hawks from the under-9s. He is a great player but even better mate. I think throughout our junior playing days we have really pushed each other, without ever not enjoying each other’s successes and achievements.
We are also hoping Jake Gaspar and Atu Bosenavualagi from our Hawks under-16 team get drafted as well. It would be a great effort if four players from the one team could all end up on an AFL list.
I watched the first round and was rapt my Stingrays teammate Sam Sturt was picked by Fremantle. It has been a huge few months for “Sturty’’. I wish him all the best.
I got really nervous after the draft awaiting tomorrow. I watched a couple of movies until early morning trying to take my mind away from tomorrow as I knew I would struggle to sleep.
Friday, November 23
Today is D day — Draft day. I have hoped for this moment for so long. I cannot believe the day has finally arrived. I am hopeful but not confident. My gut feel says I won’t be picked. Maybe I am being pessimistic. I think the Blues are my only hope. I have had no chats with any other club.
The Blues used pick one on Sam Walsh (an absolute jet) and then surprised everyone by trading up to pick 19 to snare Liam Stocker last night. I have played against Liam and his junior club East Sandringham in the SMJFL from under-11s. He is a star as well. I would love to play with both of those boys.
Carlton has late picks and they are my best chance of getting picked up.
5.30pm: It didn’t happen. I wasn’t picked. I am devastated, absolutely gutted. I don’t know what to think, to be honest. To be overlooked in both the national draft and the rookie draft is hard to take.
So close yet so far away. It feels like a sledgehammer to the gut.
I guess now I will have to take the path less travelled to find my way to my dreams. I am determined to do it.
The support and messages I have received since the draft finished from my family, friends, Stingrays coaches, colleagues and even teachers from school and the genuine love and care shown towards me from them is something I won’t forget.
All up six Stingrays are drafted: Sturt, Will Hamill, Bailey Williams, Zac Foot, Toby Bedord and Lachie Young. I’m rapt for all them of them. And my mate Jack Ross was drafted too, to Richmond.
I will take a short break now for a week or so with friends and find a nice beach and some warm weather and sun and work out my goals for 2019.
This setback will not beat me unless I allow it to. I won’t. I will find a way.
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