South Australian Matthew Hayball was forced to wait until the very last moment to join the Cats, but is doing all he can to have the last laugh.
Taken with the final selection in the 2015 national draft at pick 70, the 18-year-old sees himself as a half forward with a good football brain – one he hopes can only be further educated by the likes of Jimmy Bartel and other experienced teammates.
“I’ve been spending a bit of time with Jimmy Bartel working on contested marking, because he’s one of the best going around for his size,” Hayball said.
“He’s just been showing me techniques to overcome my lack of strength at the moment, so that I can still keep that as one of my stronger attributes.”
“They’re [all] really down to earth blokes and they genuinely want to help you, so it’s great to have those types of senior guys around you for the learning experience.”
The left-footer has bounced back well from a knee complaint across the summer and has impressed many with his approach on and off the track.
For the full interview with Matthew Hayball, click on the video player at the top of the page.