It’s not how most of us would choose to spend a week’s holiday, but Port Melbourne’s Chris Cain wouldn’t have it any other way.
Cain, who works for his family’s real estate firm, ditched the suit this week to join other draft hopefuls at this week’s NAB AFL Combine.
A good eight years older than most of the young men sweating it out at Etihad Stadium, the 26-year-old is relishing a chance he thought would never come.
“I think a few of them were surprised to find out how old I was,” Cain said.
“They’ve all been really good and I think I’ve taken as much from them as they have from me.”
“I’m an example I suppose that if they don’t get drafted this year, not all is lost.”
But while the atmosphere at the ground, with AFL clubs watching intently from the grandstand, is one of tension, it isn’t worrying Cain.
“I’ve been walking around with a smile on my face all week,” he said.
“I’ve been to a few state-based testing days in other years but to be here with the best young footballers in the country is pretty surreal,” Cain said.
Recruiters, however, have seen much more than just his well-worn grin over the past few days, with the hard-running on-baller excelling in both the physical and skill-based tests.
A shuttle run in the low 14s yesterday afternoon stacks up well against most midfielders at the elite level, while near flawless results in the morning’s kicking, clean hands and goal kicking tests put his supreme skills on display for all to see.
Separated into position groups (Cain is a medium midfielder), the draft hopefuls have spent almost every waking hour at Etihad Stadium in a week-long job interview.
Hoping to follow in the footsteps of the likes of Brett Goodes and Sam Dwyer, both of whom proved their worth in the AFL this year after making the jump from the Peter Jackson VFL, Cain is one of four stars from the second tier competition to be invited to the Combine.
Werribee duo Luke McDonald (likely father/son selection) and Ben Brown, and Frankston forward Sam Lloyd have also been strutting their stuff with positive results.
And while an invitation to the combine by no means guarantees selection in the draft, Cain admits it’s a step in the right direction.
“I was pretty surprised to receive the call-up mid-season and it’s obviously good to know clubs are still prepared to have a look at a player like me,” Cain said.
“I’ll take a bit of time off now and try and let the body freshen up. There is still a month and half or so until the Draft.”
“And reality will sink in again when I’m back at work Monday.”
Last Modified on 04/10/2013 09:06