Having not been selected in the AFL national draft on Tuesday night, Nick O’Kearney could have had every reason to be disappointed.
The Calder Cannons and Keilor midfielder has long been seen as a prospective AFL player and was surprisingly overlooked on Tuesday night.
“It was a little disappointing, but not too disappointing as I had put everything into it,” O’Kearney said on Friday morning.
“I didn’t have any regrets and I had to move on and look to the next second chapter which was the rookie draft.”
He didn’t have to wait long in the rookie draft to see his name, as St Kilda took him with pick five.
“I’m relieved, it has been a hectic few days,” he said.
“It was good to see my name so early in the draft and not sitting on edge like the other night.
“To get calls from the coach and others at St Kilda is really good.”
O’Kearney knew the Saints were interested in him, as they and Adelaide had contacted him in between the two drafts.
“On Wednesday morning after the clubs got back from Adelaide, I got a phone call from St Kilda asking if I was home and that they would be around straight around to my place to talk,” O’Kearney said on Thursday morning.
“I spoke with them two or three times on the phone and Adelaide called me a couple of times saying they were interested but didn’t think that I would be around when they had a pick.
“There was a lot of support from Adelaide who said to keep my head up.”
O’Kearney, who will head on a training camp with the Saints on Sunday to Queensland, will have a couple of familiar faces joining him at St Kilda.
His former school mate Jade Gresham was selected by the Saints at pick 18 in the national draft.
“I couldn’t believe it that I was going to be realigned with Gresh. We can continue our footy journey together.
“The fitness and conditioning guy from the Cannons is also going to St Kilda, while I’ve played football with a few of the guys in the TAC Cup.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
While O’Kearney is thrilled to be going to the Saints, there are a few people who could be even more excited.
“Mum’s side of family are mad Saints supporters. I was a member at one stage and they have always been my second club, so it’s worked out well.
