As Echuca's Brodie Kemp stood on the Marvel Stadium stage next to Carlton co-captain Patrick Cripps, it appeared the Blues had just drafted a clone of their midfield colossus.
Standing every bit as tall and donning the same haircut, the Bendigo Pioneer looked pumped to be standing alongside a player he has often been compared to - a player he will compete alongside on a weekly basis.
Bringing agility, smooth ball-use and 193cm to the table, Kemp is a versatile prospect, but looms as a big-bodied midfielder long-term, something list boss Stephen Silvagni said was "every chance".
But Kemp - who clearly suffered from his mid-season anterior cruciate ligament tear having been projected as a top 10 pick before sliding to pick 17 - was just relieved his agonising draft wait was over.
“I'm just excited and a bit relieved,” Kemp said.
“I think it was a bit stressful going into it, there were a few trades and what not and it was a stressful thing, but to get the uncertainty out and finally know where I'm going, you can finally look forward and make a plan, so I'm excited.
“Once it got beyond pick 14, Dad and I were starting to stress a bit and from there it was up in the air and I wasn't sure. To be called out by the Blues, pick 17, is something that's very humbling and I'm super stoked for.”
With potential for days, Kemp seems a great fit for Carlton's exciting young list, which picked up seven wins last season as it continues to push up the ladder.
“I've thought about their list and it's quite young, so I think being a young player I can fit in quite easily,” he said.
“I've got a few people I know there already, which is super, and the senior players are really good as well.
“To be at a club like Carlton is something I was really hoping for and I've got it.”
Kemp thanked Geelong Grammar high performance manager Damian Shanahan, Bendigo Pioneers talent manager Steven Sharp and manager Matt Bain as three crucial influences, but said his mother, father and brother Mitch had helped him to where he was, along with friends across Echuca-Moama.
Silvagni was full of praise for his new talent, who was picked for the Blues along with midfielder Sam Philp, but said the club would not rush his recovery from his ACL tear.
“The thing about Brodie is he's so flexible where he can play,” he said.
“We've seen him do it in the middle, seen him do it down back and I've seen him kick goals up forward. Time will tell with him, certainly it's going to be a slow process to get him back and the club won't rush him, but that's not to say he mightn't play any football next season.
“(He will) possibly (play) at the end of next season, I'm not a medico. Obviously it's early in his rehab, he actually came to our club today and he's a really nice build, a great kick and can play in a number of positions.”
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