FOR many people in Henty, life on the farm is the norm, for Harrison Macreadie, a life as an AFL footballer could soon be a reality if he is selected during Friday’s national draft.
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The 196-centimetre running defender believes he has done everything he can to get himself recognised by AFL clubs, capping of a solid year in the GWS system by playing in the club’s NEAFL premiership victory against the Sydney Swans reserves earlier in the year.
Macreadie, who relocated to western Sydney at the start of this year to complete his HSC at the King's School in Parramatta as part of the GWS Academy, has attracted attention from four clubs in the weeks leading into the draft.
“It's all a waiting game, so hopefully I've done enough,” Macreadie said.
“I'm just keeping myself busy, which calms the nerves a bit.”
“I’ve had Fremantle, West Coast and Hawthorn come out (for a meeting) and met with St Kilda over Skype.
“I haven’t really talked to the Giants too much so I think they’re keeping their cards pretty close to their chest.”
Along with his grand final success in the Giants’ reserves, Macreadie also represented the NSW-ACT Rams and the Allies during the 2016 AFL national carnival.
Australian rules football has always been Macreadie’s number one sport and being the son of Swampies legend Dale Macreadie certainly put him on the pathway to his ultimate dream of playing in the AFL.
“He was my coach for Auskick all the way through to the under 14s, Macreadie said.
“I finally got a new coach in under 17s and then went into seniors.”
During his early teenage years Macreadie couldn’t get enough of the game and regularly played for Henty on Saturday’s in the Hume League, before backing up to play junior football for Riverina League clubs Collingullie or Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong on Sunday.
Macreadie said he was a regular half-forward flank when he first started playing the game, but as he grew he moved around the ground more and played at times in the ruck, before settling into the role of a running defender more recently.
He believes that his composure, kicking and ability to take the game on with his run are his biggest strengths, but believes he needs to polish up more on one-on-one contests.
If all doesn’t go to script, Macreadie plans to take a gap year from studying and sign with a VFL or SANFL club to himself the best opportunity to make the AFL.
He added the support has been flooding in from friends and family within the local community and he “couldn’t have asked for more.”
Outside of football, Macreadie would like to go to university to become a teacher.
