Lachie Whitfield and Kristian Jaksch arrived with their families on the Gold Coast last year full of excitement and nerves about what lay ahead.
Whitfield, like Tom Boyd this year, had long been anointed the number one pick by fans and media alike for much of the year, but there are no guarantees until the names are officially read out.
“I was feeling a lot of different emotions but excitement was the main one,” Whitfield said.
“It was just a night you got to be with your family and friends. The last 18 years of your life have been building up to (it) and you finally get on a list ... so it's a new beginning.
“It was a long night but one I’ll remember forever.”
Jaksch knew he would be become an AFL footballer after the Draft but his destination was always a mystery. With Carlton and Brisbane also rumoured to be interested, Jaksch didn’t even know what city he would be living in before the GIANTS called his name at pick 12.
“The build up is a pretty exciting time, there¹s a lot of nervous energy around,” Jaksch said.
“A lot of the boys who are going into the draft now know the feeling of a) are they going to get drafted and then b) if they do get drafted are they going to have to leave home or move in with people they don¹t know.
“The build up is one of the more exciting times, you can actually sit back and think about what the future might be like.”
Jaksch said sharing Draft night with his family and fellow junior footballers was a special experience.
“There’s so many people around and so many mates you’ve played with and against your whole footy journey - you see them go off to different clubs and realise you¹ll probably never play on the same teams as these guys again,” Jaksch said.
“It was really nice to have my mum and dad, they came up there with me and always said they supported me the whole way through no matter what happened so it was a nice feeling to be able to share that with them.
“A lot of people play a part in your football journey so it¹s nice to be able to thank them and celebrate it with them along the way.”
One year on, Whitfield has some words of advice for all the draftees tonight.
“To the boys that are going to get drafted, just soak it up,” he said.
“It’s a great time and a great reward for a lot of effort in junior footy and a lot of sacrifice. Just know you’ve got a long time ahead and a lot of hard work to go over summer.”
