Constable had Cats on mind long before draft

CHARLIE Constable had no idea which club would read his name out at Friday night’s AFL draft, but his mother only had one wish — that her son stayed in Victoria.

So when Geelong used its third pick, No.36 overall, to select the Sandringham Dragons teenager, emotions in the Constable household were running high.

Of course, he — like most kids in the TAC Cup system — would have been happy to go anywhere for his shot at playing AFL, and after averaging 26 disposals through the season in the TAC Cup had even been touted as a potential first round pick.

But having watched the Cats closely this year, Constable said he had been hoping he would be heading down the highway next year.

“I’m absolutely thrilled because it was the club I’d wanted to go to for the past two months, so for them to read my name out, I was over the moon,” Constable said.

“The first time I met with them was at the combine and then they came over about a week ago and had a chat. They didn’t really say anything about taking me, they just said they liked how I play, but I had no idea at all.

“I don’t read too much into the phantom drafts or anything, but I’d heard I might have gone higher, but I just go out there and try to do what I do, which is to be strong and clean around the contest, and that is what has got me drafted to a great club, so I couldn’t be happier.”

Constable’s mother is the niece of coaching great Mick Malthouse, who was on hand throughout 2017 to pass on advice about what was required to be drafted and make it in the AFL.

One area the under-18s All-Australian knows he must work on is his running — he ran a 7min 58sec 2km time trial in this year — and that will be his main priority during what looms as a gruelling pre-season.

Highly rated before the draft, his slip down to 36 was, in part, attributed to doubts over his fitness but the Cats are confident they can tailor a program to bring him up to AFL standard.

So for Constable, the reward of a senior debut in 2018 could make all of the hard work worth the effort.

“I’ve never loved running, but I just can’t wait to challenge myself and take my game to the next level,” he said.