As the AFL approaches the 2013 draft, local footballer Allen Christensen takes us back to that special moment when his name was called over the airwaves in 2009.

The 22-year-old midfielder remembers having to work extra hard leading up to the draft pick as he knew it would better his chances on being selected.

“I went to draft camp with the highest skin fold, so I probably let myself down a bit there. But coming away from that I just really worked hard and tried to get my weight down and through that I got a couple of phone calls from clubs wanting to know how my weight loss had gone and wanted to see what my body shape was like,” Christensen told Cats TV.

“I saw Essendon four or five days before the draft, I saw Sydney two days before and I went and saw North Melbourne the day before. So I think by working a bit harder from there I got a couple more clubs on board.”

“I saw Geelong about a week before the draft camp and they didn’t speak to me there because I was a local and they knew they could get me out when ever they wanted to.”

During the day of the draft Christensen kept himself occupied to distract his thoughts, before congregating with his family later that night around the radio.

“Draft day was pretty nerve-racking being on a Thursday night. I had the whole day to wait. I saw a movie and went for a walk around the golf course for a little hit. Then when the draft came… I went outside with my dad, my uncles and my Granddad around the barbecue and we had it on the radio and lucky enough my name was called at pick 40 for Geelong,” Christensen said.

Geelong was the perfect home for Christensen as it allowed him to stay in Lara and above all it meant his family name would live on in the blue and white hoops, which was a special addition to a special moment.  

“It was pretty exciting for the whole family and obviously (uncle) Marty and Damien played here so it was good to be able to carry on a bit of a family tradition,” Christensen said.