It was a call from former Frankston coach Simon Goosey that alerted 2014 Fothergill Round Medal winner Nic Newman that he was on an AFL list.
Newman was at his dad’s home with his girlfriend watching the rookie draft tick over on his mobile phone as the selections reached 31 of 76 and stopped.
The rookie draft was quickly nearing its halfway point and Newman saw his draft chances slipping away selection by selection.
But his draft tracker viewing was halted as Goosey called, alerting him to the fact he was now a Sydney Swan.
“He asked me how I was and I told him I was stressing out and I would call him back as I was in the middle of watching it.
“He said ‘what do you mean, you have just been picked up’ … I told him I would call him back, got off the phone and reloaded it (the tracker) again and there my name was, I could not believe it.”
What followed was a whirlwind afternoon for the 21 year-old, as his phone went crazy with people ringing and texting him before he boards a plane for Sydney Friday morning.
“It’s all a bit surreal at the moment, it has not sunk in just yet. It feels a bit strange. I will get up there tomorrow (Friday) and get stuck into it,” Newman said.
“All the hard work was worth it, but it all starts again now.”
Newman averaged 23 disposals and seven marks a game this year in his second season in the Peter Jackson VFL, earning him the honour of the Fothergill Round Medal for the best U23 player in the competition, and a spot in the VFL Team of the Year.
Newman joins an ever growing list of Fothergill Round Medal winners that have been drafted, with the rookie drafting of 2013 Medal winner Kane Lambert from Williamstown to Richmond meaning the last nine players earning the honour have been added to an AFL list.
The names include former North Ballarat wingman Dean Towers – now a teammate of Newman’s – redrafted St Kilda player Ahmed Saad from the Northern Blues and former Dolphin Michael Hibberd who was selected by Essendon.
Originally from Mornington, Newman played as a 19-year-old in the TAC Cup for Dandenong Stingrays before joining Frankston in 2013. He could only manage three games that year, playing 15 games in the Development League.
After putting himself through a tough preseason and having a change of role to being a defender, the new Swan rookie played all 18 games for the Dolphins in 2014, skyrocketing his name into draft conversations.
Newman was one of four VFL players rookied to an AFL club, with Adam Saad (Coburg) and Tyrone Downie (Bendigo) headed to the Gold Coast Suns, and Lambert to the Tigers. All four players originated from standalone VFL clubs.
- CLICK HERE to view highlights of Nic Newman from season 2014.
Last Modified on 04/12/2014 00:19