At the start of school each year Nick Kempe would be asked what he wanted to do when he was older and his answer would always be the same.
He wanted to play in the AFL. In fact, in his mind, one day he would be.
His dream is well on the way to becoming a reality after the Eastern Swans junior was nominated as a potential Gold Coast Suns Academy selection in this month's AFL Draft.
I didn't expect this year to go the way it did," Kempe said. "If you asked me what would be the ideal pathway into the AFL, I would say go through all the rounds and make Allies and play NEAFL." And that's exactly what he did.
Last year the 18-year-old made the move from Mackay to the Gold Coast to train at the Suns Academy.
"It was a bit like getting thrown into the deep end," he said.
"I worked really hard during school and it it sort of creped up on me."
"At the end of last year a Suns' rep flew up and told me if I wanted to continue this I would have to move down and do pr- season down there," Kempe said.
It has since been a whirlwind six months - from making the Academy team and playing the Lions in an Academy match to getting selected in the state team, moving on to the Allstar Allies team and helping them to their first win.
Kempe also played 10 games for the Gold Coast Reserves in the NEAFL where he kicked 12 goals.
"It was pretty awesome, considering I had never even made a Queensland team up until this year," Kempe said.
"The next month of training is going to be as hard as I have ever trained before in the lead up to the draft."
While it's his dream to get drafted, the young gun remains positive about his future in the AFL.
"If it doesn't go my way and I don't get drafted there are still a lot of opportunities," he said.
"Because I've made such an impact this year there's potential I could go around as a top age and play for Suns Reserves again."
The winger began his footy career at North Mackay Saints when he was four years old.
He made the switch to the Eastern Swans in Under-16s where he played for three years.
He said his coach Brad McLaren was a huge influence on his football career.
"He was a really good coach, he pushed me really hard when I first started playing seniors and I really rose to it," Kempe said.
He captained the U16s side and last year helped the senior team to a premiership.
"That year prepared me to play up against bigger bodies and really dominate under 18s," he said.
"I had a very good year in the seniors, I kicked a lot of goals."
It was more than 80, in fact.
The St Patrick's College graduate is aiming to be the first person to finish school in Mackay and made the AFL.
"Because a lot of people say you have to move away beforehand if you want to make it," he said.
His highlight so far was helping his Allstars Allies team to their first ever win.
"We hadn't won a game yet and we came up against Victoria Country... a lot of kids get drafted from that team," he said.
"We came together and came back in the last quarter and won.
"Playing on Simons Stadium, the (Geelong) Cats home ground, that was incredible.
"When that final siren went and everyone celebrated that's been the best moment so far."
Last Modified on 06/02/2017 12:59