Harrison Macreadie will play for the club he supported as a child after Carlton selected the Henty product at pick 47 in the AFL draft.
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The running defender was lost for words upon learning of his opportunity.
“It’s a dream come true, I’m going to my favourite club. It’s better than I could have expected,” he said.
“I’m still pinching myself.”
Macreadie admitted the nerves started to kick in after he fell outside the top 40 selections.
A bid was then placed by the Blues minutes later, which wasn’t matched by the GWS Giants who had him listed as one of their academy nominations.
It’s a dream come true, I’m going to my favourite club.
- Harrison Macreadie
Macreadie is delighted to be heading to Victoria to pursue his career at the top level.
“I would definitely choose Melbourne over Sydney because it’s the home of AFL. You live and breathe it in Melbourne which is how I like it,” he said.
“I was given a lot of opportunities in Sydney, but I think Melbourne is more suited to me.”
Macreadie said he received welcome messages from a number of Carlton players including Patrick Cripps and last year’s number one draft pick Jacob Weitering.
Along with Macreadie, the draft proved a hugely successful night for the Murray Bushrangers who had seven young stars land on an AFL list, as well as former Albury junior Will Setterfield, who was drafted by the Giants at pick five and joined at the club by Collingullie’s Harry Perryman, who was pick 14.
After being overlooked at the 2015 draft, Albury’s Lachlan Tiziani was selected by the Giants at pick 54 and Corowa-Rutherglen youngster Ryan Garthwaite will call Richmond home in 2017 after going at pick 72.
Bushrangers teammates Will Brodie (pick nine, Gold Coast), Jy Simpkin (pick 12, North Melbourne), Todd Marshall (pick 16, Port Adelaide), Esava Ratugolea (pick 43, Geelong) and Harry Morrison (pick 74, Hawthorn) were all given the nod.
