New Fremantle recruit Dylan O’Reilly never gave up on his AFL dream after missing out at the 2018 drafts.
O’Reilly was selected by Fremantle with pick no.11 in the NAB AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft on Monday and had his first day at the club on Tuesday.
It was an eventful day, where he met with coaches and teammates, addressed the media and was handed the number 46.
The 18-year-old was a highly touted prospect after kicking 46 goals as a bottom ager in the colts for East Fremantle in 2017.
But injuries quelled the key forward’s ability to perform at his best in his draft year in 2018.
“My manager had given me a few indications that it might not go my way (at the 2018 drafts) but I was still a chance,” O’Reilly said.
“After not getting picked up I used it as fuel to get picked up in the (2019) pre-season or mid-season drafts and it worked out.”
In 2018, O’Reilly kicked 19 goals from 10 games at Colts level as he battled multiple injuries, which he felt limited his influence in games.
“I had shin splints, which obviously impacted a lot of my training, and that didn’t help with my endurance. That leads to not being able to run more, get the footy more and kick more goals, essentially,” O’Reilly said.
“(Ahead of the 2019 season) I got my body right, I’ve got my shins right and everything and did the majority of the pre-season…I’ve worked on my training intensities, competitiveness, attitude, everything, just to improve.”
O’Reilly is the son of former Fremantle player and 1996 Doig Medallist Stephen O’Reilly, who played 98 games for Freo from 1995 and 1999.
If Dillon makes his debut, they are set to become the first father-son combination to represent Fremantle.
He said his father has helped instil a desire to keep working on his game.
“He tells me every day that it’s all about hard work, the hard work starts now, that I’ve done the easy part and I’m looking forward to that,” O’Reilly said.
“It’s very humbling to follow in his footsteps (at Fremantle) and I just want to make him proud.”
