By JARROD POTTER
FROM sitting at a desk at Shepley Oval doing his work, to rushing across the Bolte Bridge to join his new AFL club, Friday morning has been a whirlwind for newly selected Essendon footballer Gach Nyuon.
Nyuon, 18, from Keysborough, had his hopes fulfilled in the AFL rookie draft as a click of the mouse changed the 200cm ruckman’s life.
Capping off his incredible year – having earned All Australian and TAC Cup Team of the Year honours and a national championship – The Stingrays’ mainstay will get to play for the Bombers in 2016 after he was chosen with the fourth pick overall.
As soon as he arrived at his Dandenong Stingrays’ traineeship on Friday – where he helps out with Auskick and sponsor seminars – Nyuon received the phenomenal news at 11am.
“It’s great – I’m pretty excited,” Nyuon said on Friday morning just minutes after his name was called out.
“Sort of had a rough idea – they (Essendon) called me yesterday and told me what was going to happen – and it’s a bit more of a relief I guess – it’s special.”
Feelings leftover from Tuesday night – where he was overlooked at the AFL National Draft – proved fleeting, as Nyuon just went back to work on and off the field without worrying too much about the upcoming rookie draft.
“Missing out on the national draft was disappointing, but I just waited for today to see what happens,” Nyuon said.
“Not much changed this week – not with my work and training – nothing changed from what I went about with the Stingrays.”
He didn’t get much time to let his newly-announced AFL career sink in, with Essendon beckoning him to make the trip out to the western suburbs immediately to be presented to the club, players and media later today.
“I’m at Shepley Oval – but have to leave pretty soon as the Bombers want me to get over there and do some media,” Nyuon said.
Nyuon believes the hard work necessary to earn his place in the senior side will inspire him greatly, as he relishes the challenge of advancing from the rookie list.
“I reckon it’s going to push me more that I was going into the rookie draft – I knew I had national draft talent,” Nyuon said. “I’m ready to take it and get my best shot – I’ll work twice as hard if I need to but I’m ready to get into it.”
It caps off an amazing rise into the football world for Nyuon – whose first AFL season will only be his fourth overall in football, after taking up the sport in 2012.
Following its amazing Tuesday night where six Stingrays were selected – including Carlton’s number one pick Jacob Weitering – Dandenong ended with seven players on AFL lists from its 2015 squad.
Another Greater Dandenong ex-pat Alex Woodward was re-listed by Hawthorn after the unlucky midfielder suffered another ACL knee injury earlier this year.
