Great mates excited to kick off Cattery careers together
TAKEN back-to-back in the AFL Draft, new Geelong teammates Toby Conway and Mitch Knevitt are planning to keep improving their on and offfield connection at the top level for the next decade or more.
Conway described it as “obviously the best scenario I could have hoped for”, and for Knevitt it was “a dream” as the Geelong Falcons pair were snapped up by the Cats with the 24th and 25th overall picks on Thursday night.
Having played their junior footy for rival GFL clubs – with Knevitt a Grovedale junior and Conway from St Mary’s – the
pair didn’t play many minutes together until this year, when their bond grew quickly.
Conway was the first of the pair to be picked up on Thursday night but he said he was “doubly excited” when his mate followed suit minutes later.
The Falcons duo became a
triumvirate a couple of hours later, when Cooper Whyte was snapped up with Geelong’s final selection on the night, the 64th overall choice.
“We are really good mates, Mitchy and I, it was obviously the best scenario I could have hoped for,” Conway said.
“It literally doubled the excitement. I reckon I cheered louder when Mitch was called than when I was.
“We have really clicked this year, not just on the ground but off it. We have a great laugh and we are really good friends and I am just super excited.”
Both new Cats are lifelong fans of the club. Knevitt wore Cameron Mooney’s number as a youngster, while Conway still remembers watching his favourite player and now AFL captain Joel Selwood in the 2007 grand final when Conway was just four years old.
Tall midfielder Knevitt said the friendship he had forged with his taller mate had spilt on to the field this year for the Falcons.
“We have a real good connection now and we catch up a fair bit and love playing footy together,” he said.
“It is still growing but (Conway) sort of knows where I want it when he hits it and I can tell him where to put it.”
While their careers could head in any multitude of directions, Conway will forever have one over Knevitt, given he was selected first.
But the ruckman said he wouldn’t be rubbing it in.
“I have already forgotten about it. If anything we are even, or he is better, so I won’t lord it over him,” Conway said.