Fremantle’s newest Docker Dillon O’Reilly was thrilled to hear his name read out in Monday’s NAB AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft.
The 18-year-old’s name was called out with pick no.11 on the Fox Footy broadcast by general manager of football Peter Bell, seeing the key forward join the club his father Stephen played for between 1995 and 1999.
O’Reilly said it had long been a dream to follow in his footsteps of his father, who played 98 games for Freo and won the Doig Medal in 1996.
“It’s awesome, it’s a dream come true. Ever since I was a kid and now I’m training and playing four times a week for the past three or four years, it takes up a fair bit of your time and it’s definitely a dream come true to be drafted,” O’Reilly said.
“Dad’s been a great role model for me, I definitely want to follow in his footsteps, that’s been my dream forever.”
O’Reilly said he looks up to the contested marking abilities of Fremantle’s Matt Taberner and was also excited to get to learn off captain Nat Fyfe.
“I guess I’m a bit nervous about going into the club tomorrow, I don’t know too many of the blokes there yet so, hopefully, I can meet a few people and make some mates for life,” O’Reilly said.
“Nat Fyfe has been my favourite player for plenty of years now. I’m a tall forward who likes to take a pack mark on the lead and kick goals…so I’d like to learn off guys like Matt Taberner as well.”
Stephen O’Reilly said that he was proud with how Dillon handled the disappointment of missing out on at the 2018 drafts and used it as a motivation to get better.
“I’m just really excited for him more than anything, as I know how disappointed he was last year when he missed out in the draft, which is natural,” Stephen said
“He’s turned that disappointment into something positive by really working hard, which is a real credit to him.
“The real work starts now. He’ll need to put his head down and work as hard as he’s ever worked in his life and make the best shot of it.”
Stephen said that he was thrilled to see his son continue on the O’Reilly name at Fremantle.
“I love the club, I’ve been involved as an original player playing in the club’s first game and I’ve been on the board for nearly 10 years,” Stephen said.
“I’ve had a lot of involvement at the club, I love the place, I love everything it stands for and the people who work there and play there, so it’s an added bonus that my son is involved too.”
