By ROY WARD
FOR Taylor Garner, pick 10 of the AFL draft kick-started his nerves, pick 11 made them worse, then pick 15 provided pure excitement.
The 18-year-old Endeavour Hills resident was selected by North Melbourne with pick 15, completing his rise from just making the Dandenong Stingrays TAC Cup side to becoming a first-round pick in the AFL draft.
Garner said he had no fears about moving interstate nor a real preference for which club he wanted to go to.
Instead he sat down with his family and a few mates at home and watched as the picks rolled in.
“I didn’t know how to feel, I was just really excited,” he said. “I wasn’t nervous until pick 10, then my heart started racing, I was told I was in the range from pick 11 onwards.
“When it was announced there was a bit of a scream, we celebrated, I don’t know, everyone was jumping.”
While the former Rowville Hawks junior has avoided a move interstate, he will still be hopping on a plane this week, flying out to join his new teammates at their high altitude camp in Utah tomorrow.
Unlike some teenagers, it won’t be his first overseas trip after travelling with family as a young boy and going to Thailand last year.
“I will be straight into it,” he said. “I have my passport and everything so I’m all set.”
Garner said he looked forward to donning the blue and white Kangaroos top and already had one mate at the club after it selected his Vic Country under-18 teammate Mason Wood with one of its other picks.
Garner also said his shoulder, which was operated on late in the season, was ready for non-contact training so he was looking forward to getting back on the field.
Stingrays coach Graeme Yeats said Garner was a special talent. “I think a few people have compared him to Scott Pendlebury. He’s a unique character — he’s got an enormous tank and he can run and doesn’t stop working,” Yeats said.
“He has shown us that his hardness is pretty good as well — he’ll be one of the better hybrid type players to come out of the draft.
“He can play outside but is not scared to throw his body in.” Kangaroos recruiting manager Bryce Lewis said Garner’s efforts at Subiaco in the national under-18 championships helped pave his way to Arden Street.
” [He is] very strong overhead but equally capable at ground level,” Lewis said. “He had a really big impact for Vic Country in their national championship game against WA at Subiaco.
“He was very impressive that day, kicked three and set up a number of others. He played out the Nationals but had a crook shoulder and shortly after went in for surgery so he only played half the season.”
Former Noble Park premiership duo Kyle Martin and Lachie Delahunty both missed selection in the draft despite excellent seasons with VFL club Frankston Dolphins.
Club officials still hope either player might get a rookie list spot when the AFL rookie draft is held on December 11.
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