Smiles, hugs and kisses all around.
It’s the moment these AFL draftees will remember – and cherish – forever. And like in every other draft, there was brilliant reactions that came with it.
The first round of the 2023 National Draft was held on Monday night, and with it, 29 dreams came true. It was clearly just as special for some of their loved ones, too.
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North Melbourne’s fourth overall pick, Zane Duursma, shared a special moment with older brother and Bombers recruit Xavier after he was picked up. No doubt 2024 shapes as a big year for both the Duursmas at their new homes, and they could well even meet on field.
“When you play against your brother, just got the knuckle, that’s the first advice you’ll ever get,” Fox Footy’s Ben Dixon facetiously said to Duursma after he was drafted.
“(I’ll) get into him,” the youngster responded with a big smile.
In one of the emotional moments of the draft, Hawthorn’s Pick 5 Nick Watson was left tearing up after hearing his name called out.
You could see how much it meant to the Eastern Ranges small forward as he embraced with friends and family, clearly most emotional when he hugged his father.
The Hawthorn draft room knew they’d got a good one too, with Sam Mitchell beaming with a big smile as he looked up at the screen while Watson celebrated with loved ones.
“He was really emotional then,” Fox Footy’s Sarah Jones noted.
Draft expert Kevin Sheehan added: “That was great to see, I started to tear up a little then too!”
One of the big cheers on the night at Marvel Stadium came when Caleb Windsor was drafted by Melbourne with Pick 7.
Eastern Rangers teammate Nick Watson, just two picks after he was drafted, had his arm around Windsor’s neck in celebration, while Demons coach Simon Goodwin and footy boss Alan Richardson watched on from the club’s draft room with big smiles like proud fathers.
“A wonderful moment there, they’ve got so many people there to hug and kiss and enjoy this moment. That is what it’s all about,” Sarah Jones told Fox Footy.
Windsor’s actual parent, mother Margarita, was shown wiping tears from her eyes with a tissue in another touching moment.
Asked how she was feeling, the teary Margarita told Fox Footy: “Super proud and emotional,” to which Dixon cheekily responded: “I’ve got more issues, so don’t worry.”
One of the twists of the draft saw Essendon trade up for Pick 10 to take Nate Caddy, a prospect the club is clearly excited about.
Well, his friends and family were even more pumped, exploding in celebration when his name was called out in one of the pops of the night including his mates jumping up and down and ruffing his hair.
Bombers coach Brad Scott watched on with a big grin (this was clearly a theme with coaches), while even long-time list boss Adrian Dodoro was seen with his usual cheeky smile.
Directly after, Geelong’s Pick 11 Connor O’Sullivan was mobbed by his mates after he was drafted – with one mate clapping ecstatically as if the new Cat had kicked his first goal.
His manager Brett Deledio and father embraced too, while his dad was clearly holding back tears after he hugged Connor.
O’Sullivan then went up on stage and was presented the iconic jumper No. 14 by club great Joel Selwood, described as a “beautiful moment” by Fox Footy draft expert Mick Ablett.
Perhaps the best reaction of the night was when Giants Pick 12 Phoenix Gothard’s name was called out by AFL CEO Andrew Dillon, who himself cracked a grin during it amid the massive cheer that followed.
Gothard was one of the big bolters on the night – ranked the 30th best prospect by the Fox Footy lab – and he only attended the opening-night event as a plus-one for close friend and fellow Albury product O’Sullivan.
How fitting and special the two went one after the other, while O’Sullivan even had to take off his Murray Bushrangers polo to give to the shocked Gothard to wear on stage.
Those close to Gothard were clearly elated to see him get taken so early by the Giants in wild scenes celebration.
“An absolute bolter, in fact, he invited himself down, a friend of Connor O’Sullivan to come down as his guest,” Fox Footy draft expert Kevin Sheehan said.
“I did a bit of checking around and said: ‘Look, in fact you’re a chance, you may go tonight’. His mother and sister have come down at the last minute, because he was a chance.”
Similarly, Adelaide’s Pick 27 and bolter Oscar Ryan was in sheer disbelief when he got picked up later in the night as he was greeted by new coach Matthew Nicks.
Like Gothard, Ryan was left looking around for a Murray Bushrangers to polo he could wear on stage.
“He’s not even ready,” Sarah Jones told Fox Footy, while Leigh Montagna added: “He wouldn’t have been invited, he’s obviously come along as a guest as well. Extending to family and friends has made it easier tonight!”
Allen said: “It’s a massive to me, I’m so grateful for the club for putting the trust into me.”
Elsewhere, though both father-son prospects Jordan Croft (Western Bulldogs, Pick 15) and Will McCabe (Hawthorn, Pick 19) effectively knew where and when they were going to get taken, it didn’t make the moment their names were read out any less special as they followed in their dads’ footsteps.
“Yeah absolutely (it’s special to finally become a Hawk),” McCabe told Fox Footy.
“Lost for words, it’s been a long time coming, but finally here.”
McCabe continued: “Sam and dad are pretty similar, quite dry and you never know whether they’re being sarcastic or not. I might have gotten on the bad end of that one time.
“But they’ve looked after me a lot, really excited to see there the club is going with a lot of young talent.”
Other loud pops on the night included for Darcy Wilson after he was taken by St Kilda with Pick 19 as his friends well and truly got around him.
Meanwhile the last of Gold Coast’s Academy prospects, Will Graham, was jumped on by his fellow Academy Suns players in the rowdy area after the defender officially joined the club with Pick 26.
Not all the golden reactions came from within Marvel Stadium.
A shot of Swans’ Pick 16 Will Green at his home was among the highlights as a host of the Northern Knights ruckman’s friends piled on him. The proud draftee couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.
“Look at that reaction, that is pure excitement,” Sarah Jones noted.
In chaotic scenes from the Lake View Hotel in Bendigo, friends mobbed Charlie Edwards after he was nabbed with Pick 21. Heck, you could barely see Edwards amid the mayhem of his mates crowding around him.
“Mad scenes there,” Fox Footy’s Sarah Jones said.
Edwards then told Fox Footy “I’ve got all the people here that care about me, and the support I’ve just had, I think you guys just saw it.
It’s awesome, I can’t put it into words.”
Another great shot was from the Western Australian family home of North Melbourne’s Pick 23 Riley Hardeman.
Harderman gave a huge fist pump before friends and family piled on him on his couch – a brand new couch of that purchased by his mum given it’d appear on TV to ensure “everything was perfect for the occasion,” the draftee revealed on Fox Footy.
The defender added: “I got a haircut (earlier today) but it’s no good now because it’s just been ruffled.”
… and do you believe in fate?
It was a full blown party at Dandenong Stingrays prospect Harry DeMattia’s home even before he’d been taken by Collingwood with Pick 25, with some in the room dressed in black and white.
Those Pies fans really are everywhere!
And so the room further exploded when DeMattia’s name was read out in joyous images.
“Some Collingwood jumpers there too, so that’s handy,” Fox Footy’s Sarah Jones observed.
Moments later, DeMattia was already wearing a loved one’s Collingwood jumper when he was interviewed by Fox Footy, revealing he was surrounded by a few fans of the recent premiers.
Of course, these were just the main highlights. For every draftee that was taken had their own special moment on such a momentous occasion for all 29 young men.
Many more will live out their dream Tuesday night.
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