Mathew Stokes draft moment was one that he wasn’t expecting, as he had missed out on selection every year since making his first appearance in 2002.  

After the 2002 draft Stokes left Darwin to join the SANFL in Adelaide, and it wasn’t until three year’s later that he received the long awaited call.    

“I was actually working at the Adelaide Zoo feeding the bears when I got the phone call from Ron Watt saying I was drafted, which was so thrilling for me because I got overlooked three years in a row at the draft.”

“The first person I called was my Dad.

“At first I thought it was a prank but when I heard Ronnie Watt say ‘congratulations, welcome to Geelong’ it was a pretty big moment in my life having been overlooked.”

Stokes, who was 21 when he was finally drafted at pick number 61, admits he had three frustrating years, however, now that he’s at Geelong he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I thought I was good enough to get drafted but never did - but then the year that I wasn’t expecting anything from the draft it happened.”

“I look back now and I think that taught me a lot of good lessons and made me work harder, so I am grateful for missing out but still being drafted at an older age.”

Since the 2005 draft Stokes has played 155 games for the Geelong Cats including two premierships. This season the 28-year-old was named as Cats Community Champion for second time and came fourth in Geelong’s Best and Fairest.