Tara Murray
New Western Bulldogs rookie Cody Raak was a man on a mission this year.
After missing out on being drafted last season, Raak put his head down and worked even harder.
He trained hard with his home club, Caroline Springs, the Western Jets and Footscray’s Victorian Football League side.
“It was tough,” he said of not getting drafted. “I felt like with Vic Metro I was matching it with everyone else.
“I was shattered. I believed in myself. I put in all the hard work, I was pissed off.”
His form throughout the year put Raak back on the draft radar and he was seen as one of the best defenders in the NAB League competition.
He spoke to a few clubs before the drafts.
That included one phone call with the Bulldogs. But come draft week, he wasn’t so sure he would be drafted.
When Raak’s name wasn’t called out in the national draft, he’s hopes decreased further.
“It wasn’t looking good at all,” he said. “Obviously there was a massive break from my last game until the draft.
“They [the Bulldogs] came over at 12pm on the Friday [before the rookie draft] and said they were going to take me. It was announced at 3pm, so I knew for a few hours beforehand.
“It’s pretty surreal to be honest. I’m rapt to stay at my home club and the club that had put so much work into me.”
Raak was taken as a pre-selected Category B Rookie after being part of the Next Generation Academy.
A key objective of the NGA’s is to increase the talent pool of Indigenous and multicultural players.
Raak was eligible for the academy through his father, Marc Raak.
“He was born in South Africa,” Cody said.
“He played footy most of his life after coming to Australia and was pretty good at it. He never forced me into it.
“It was random [being in the academy]. I was going to a football presentation when I was 15 and I got an invitation in the mail.”
Being in the academy connected Raak with the Bulldogs through training sessions and a couple of weeks during pre-season while at the Jets.
This year, after not getting selected, he joined the club’s VFL side to push his case for an AFL contract.
He managed to break into the undefeated side.
“It was pretty good and I was happy to crack into the VFL side, who were undefeated.
“The way they carry themselves and the way they teach, I tried to take that back to the Jets.
“Bulldogs are all about being one club and I felt right at home. I was an 18-year-old new player and they treated me like I had been there for years.”
For Raak, who didn’t like football when he was younger, it’s now down to work. He started pre-season at the Bulldogs last week.
“I’m expected to prove myself. I’ll work my arse off and do the best I can.”
