An inundation of messages arrived into his Samsung S4’s inbox.
Little did he know, that when he was 35,000 feet above the Indian Ocean, the Fremantle Dockers had called out his name out in Wednesday’s AFL Rookie Draft.
“All my friends knew before I did,” Hughes said.
With his suitcase still in tow, Hughes arrived at Fremantle headquarters to be acquainted with his new workplace.
A Bunbury boy, he is the second player Freo have drafted from the south-west city in the past week, with Connor Blakely taken in the National Draft last Thursday.
The pair have both played league football for Swan Districts in the WAFL this season.
Hughes didn’t take up the sport until he was 15, previously playing hockey and racing motocross bikes.
“It’s just something I switched over to because my brother and all my friends at school were playing,” he said.
“I kicked a goal in my first game so I was pretty stoked about that.”
Being a defender, Hughes (187cm) is a fan of the way Fremantle plays under Ross Lyon.
“The way they play could suit my style, read the ball and put it back into attack,” he said.
“I’m excited to get going.”
