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Chapter 1: How did Joel Fitzgerald feel after being drafted by Melbourne?
Waitley on SEN. With pick 16, the Melbourne Football Club has selected Joel Fitzgerald from the Williamstown VFL side. Joel Fitzgerald, welcome to SEN and welcome to the big league.
Thank you.
How's the night been for you?
It's been very good. It doesn't feel real, to be honest. Just wrapped.
Last night's draft, it's on AFL.com. Where are you watching?
I was at training down at Williamstown. I got off the track a little bit early and some of the boys just had it watching on their phones, so I just tuned in and, yeah, a bit of a nervous wait, but, no, it was good.
Did you have a hint of what was coming?
I thought I was about a 50-50, which didn't help the nerves too much. But, yeah, about a 50-50 chance, I thought. So, yeah, yeah.
Describe how you feel when your name does get called at 16.
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Chapter 2: What was Joel Fitzgerald's journey in the VFL leading up to the draft?
Still didn't really get too much of an indication of if I was going to get picked or not. But I thought they were my best chance. And yeah, lucky enough. They did select me last night, which is good.
Who did you have to share it with? Once you finished a training, who did you have to share it with?
My parents surprised me there. They ran to the rooms. They were waiting in the car park like weirdos. But that was good. When they come in... And then, yeah, just my girlfriend as well, mates. Yeah, caught up with them quickly afterwards. Celebrated with them, which was good. Yeah.
All right. So you're at Melbourne this morning. I mean, this is a bit of an induction, isn't it? What does your morning look like?
I'm not even sure, to be honest. Have a look around, and I think there's training today. Have you got your boots? Yeah, I brought my boots, and that's all I brought.
So, yes, you'll need some gear to be fitted out in.
Yeah, I think so.
It's like starting all over again, Joel. I know, I know, but it's good. Yeah, so think about who you're going to be training with out on the track. Have you thought, if you're the Prucey could tap it, what about Maxie?
I know, it's what he was saying, but he still fancies himself Big Prucey. Yes. Yeah, it's good.
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Chapter 3: What challenges did Joel face after missing out on the draft as a teenager?
help offensively and defensively, uh, use my run and to try and, um, trying to, yeah, help. Yeah. Both ways. Um, yeah. One-on-one sort of stuff. But yeah, just being strong in the contest and, um, hopefully a bit more mature body. Um, yeah.
Have you spoken to Stephen King yet?
Briefly, um, spoke to me just after last night. I missed about a million calls, but managed to get that one or call that one back. And, um, Yeah, I wouldn't speak that much. It was more just a welcome to the club. Yeah, no, it was good to speak to him.
All right. And so Williamstown, Hurstbridge has got a part in this as well. How big a part of your footy journey has Hurstbridge been?
I actually haven't been there for too long, but I've been there for a couple of years now. My brother's been there for a few years and my old man played there back in the day. But I was able to get the game in there at the start of this year, which was good to go back and play with my brother again. So, yeah, no, they played a good role in the last few years.
Yeah, it was a good opportunity to get back here in the year, and, yeah, I loved it.
Imagine if your year goes Hurstbridge with your brother, Williamstown in the VFL, Melbourne in the AFL. That'd be pretty cool.
Oh, it'd be unreal. Yeah, better than that.
How good is the idea of the mid-season draft to open up these possibilities for players like you?
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Chapter 4: How did Joel transition to playing for Williamstown?
It just keeps the opportunity there. I didn't even think it was a possibility at the start of the year and string together a couple of decent games and all of a sudden you're a chance to be on an AFL list a month later. It's unreal, especially for boys chipping away in the VFL. There's heaps of good players there. Plenty of good players down at Williamstown as well.
It's good for the mature age player. Just keep belief.
Keep belief. Good on you, Joel. We're on the journey with you now. Cross our fingers for you. Have a great day at Melbourne and a great career. We'll feel like we're emotionally invested with you from here on. Thanks, Gerard.
Thanks for having me.
Joel Fitzgerald has arrived at Melbourne. So from Williamstown, he'll be with Casey now in the VFL and hopefully a senior debut on the horizon from him. Oh, Lachie, I saw your message too late. Lachie from Tullamarine. Gerard, can you ask Joel why he's not at work this morning? He's taken the truck keys. What a change to life that'll be. That's the charm of the mid-season draft period.
The 40 Wings temper text is 0433 98 11 16. The difference is temper.
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