BACK in the summer heat earlier this year, before the 2009 preseason had even begun, Murray Bushrangers midfielder Dylan McNeil approached the club’s strength and conditioning coach Geoff Damm.
The pint-sized midfielder had already enjoyed a prolific 2008 season with the Bushies, playing a part in their TAC Cup premiership win and representing NSW-ACT at the national championships.
But McNeil wasn’t satisfied — he never is when it comes to football — so the youngster got in contact with Murray’s region manager Andrew Carson, asking to be put in touch with Damm.
“I remember before the preseason (had started), Dylan came to us and was just desperate to get fitter and stronger,” Carson said.
“He did a lot of work with our strength and conditioning coach just to improve himself physically — and it paid dividends.”
Carson said it was just one example of McNeil’s dedication to his sport and his desire to make it onto an AFL list.
“He has done absolutely everything he can do to possibly play AFL,” Carson said this week.
“His year with us was just brilliant, he had a fantastic run at the nationals, and just has a huge appetite to get better and improve himself as a footballer.
“He’s left no stone unturned to be the best he can be.”
McNeil, who captained the Bushrangers this year, doesn’t believe in leaving things to chance, which is why he sought Damm’s advice.
“After missing out on the draft last year, I pinpointed my fitness as something I could improve on,” he said just a few days before his football fate is decided.
“So I got a program and followed that right through and it really improved my fitness — my time trials and beep tests went through the roof, and in games I could get to more contests, get more of the footy and finish off a lot better.
“I think it showed this year, I used the ball better and kicked a few more goals ... it all came back to that extra fitness.”
McNeil’s fanatical approach to his fitness resulted in the 178cm, 75kg ball-winner dominating at TAC Cup and national under-18 level.
He was equal with Gippsland’s Koby Stevens as the TAC Cup’s leading clearance winner, with his form for the Bushies resulting in a best and fairest award.
He also led NSW-ACT to the division 2 title at the national under-18 championships in June, where he was the only Ram to earn All-Australian selection.
Capping off a fine individual season, McNeil was also awarded the Hunter Harrison Medal for the best player in division 2.
But the former Albury High School student admits it will all mean little if he doesn’t hear his name called today.
“I couldn’t have done any more to get drafted, I had a great year, so I’d be pretty disappointed (if I didn’t get selected),” he said.
“I think I can expect to get drafted, but you never know which way the clubs are going to go.
“But I’ll always be able to look back on this year and know I gave it everything — I’ll have no regrets.
“It was disappointing not to make the finals (with the Bushies) but apart from that I achieved pretty much everything else I wanted to achieve this year.
“I know if I get into the AFL system I can make my mark.”
Supporting that confidence is AFL talent identification manager Kevin Sheehan, who believes McNeil’s clearance work and attitude will ensure his name is called out at the draft.
“He had a super year and deserves an opportunity — his clearance work ranks him right up there in the best in the TAC Cup,” he said.
“He also has the performances on the board ... rather than just potential.”
Sheehan added he believed McNeil’s diminutive stature wouldn’t count against him.
“There are definitely spots for smaller players like Dylan on AFL lists,” he said earlier this week.
“Make no mistake, he’s a strong chance, he’s got to be a contender.”
Another unabashed fan is Carson, who draws a parallel between former Bushranger Steele Sidebottom, who starred in his first year at Collingwood, and McNeil.
“People often say that maybe he (McNeil) is too slow and too small, but they can overlook all his other attributes,” he said.
“Some people thought Steele was too slow last year and look how he’s gone this year.
“Every player has their pros and cons and Dylan has some great strengths — he finds his own footy, wins it for himself, can bring others into the game and is very versatile.
“When he looks back on his year, I’m sure he’ll say to himself ‘there’s not much more I could have done.’”
REPORT: NIALL SEEWANG PICTURES: DAVID THORPE
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