Following dad a dream for Will

WILL Kelly says following in the footsteps of his father as a Collingwood player would be a childhood dream realised.

But the son of 1990 premiership player Craig Kelly is aware nothing is certain after brother Jake was overlooked by the Pies.

Kelly is a 193cm key defender who impressed again for Vic Metro on Sunday after also playing as a key forward for Scotch College this year.

Craig Kelly was a bull-at-agate Pies defender as well as co-founder of management company TLA and is often touted as a future president of Collingwood.

Will Kelly played the best of his three games against Vic Country, locking away his opponent as well as winning 14 possessions and taking a strong contested mark.

He is considered a later pick in the draft, but the Pies could also mine their Next Generation Academy zone with exciting halfback Isaac Quaynor. The 180cm running defender grew up a Collingwood supporter but with a Ghanaian father he is linked to the Pies through their Oakleigh zone.

Quaynor missed Sunday’s national championships game with injury, but in some phantom drafts is assessed as a top-15 pick.

Kelly said yesterday he was happy with his development this year and would be thrilled to get to Collingwood. “I am happy with how my year is progressing but I definitely have things to improve on, so I will see how it goes at the end of the year.” he said.