JARROD Kayler-Thomson is pinching himself.
Years of unflinching perseverance finally came to fruition for the former Newtown & Chilwell junior on Tuesday when Hawthorn drafted him as a mature age rookie.
Those who know the 24-year-old wingman rate him as a straight replacement for retired Hawk Stuart Dew.
But his booming left foot is where the physical similarities end.
Kayler-Thomson carved out a reputation as a ball magnet, who revelled in the open expanses of Perth's grounds and punished opponents with his hard running and esquisite skills.
He appears ready made for senior football, which is amazing given the long road he had to take to reach the gates at Waverley.
After he was overlooked in the draft as an 18-year-old, he played in a premiership at Mansfield under the guidance of former Cat David Mensch before former Newtown player Damien McMahon convinced him to move to Western Australia.
McMahon, now an assistant coach at Perth, rated Kayler-Thomson as one of the most dedicated footballers he had seen outside AFL ranks.
"He's a success story. He's worked bloody hard to get where he's got to. He always had it in his mind that he wanted to get there," he said.
"He's played some outstanding football for us in Perth and you'd have to say he's been our most professional player at the club, having lived the life, trained and prepared his body like an AFL footballer.
"He's a thumping left foot kick and kicks a lot of goals from outside 50 on the run. He's played a lot on the wing and probably picks up 30 to 35 possessions a game. He's a ball magnet."
The qualified physical education teacher's move to the Hawks is a huge punt, given he was offered a job at prestigious Wesley College.
But he said it was a risk he was willing to take to pursue his AFL dream.
"They (the school) were terrific about it. They obviously had to find someone else but they were really supportive. It's a shame I had to give it up but I wanted to chase my dream," Kayler-Thomson said.
"I've got nothing to lose. It's a tremendous opportunity and an amazing club. I'm definitely hoping to play league footy and once you play that one game, you take it from there."
Kayler-Thomson's head was still spinning yesterday but he was keen to make every post a winner.
"It's sort of been a full on 24 hours. When you're at training it kicks in a bit but I suppose it shows to the kids that if you're persistant and willing to work hard, you'll get your chance," he said.
"When you're 18 or 19 you're locked into just wanting to play AFL but when you mature, you just want to be the best you can be and I'm grateful for this opportunity."
Hawthorn list manager Chris Pelchen said the Hawks expected Kayler-Thomson to play senior football in 2010.
"He was one of the pre-eminent players in the WAFL competition this year and we had been monitoring his progress over the last two years," Pelchen said.
"He plays in a similar mould to Grant Birchall. He has got a prodigious left foot kick and can play anywhere from half-back to the wing to half-forward. We fully expect Jarrod to play senior footy in 2010."
Daniel Breen, 17 December, 2009
Last Modified on 27/11/2010 08:24