AFL draftee emailed clubs asking to be picked

Essendon draftee Garrett McDonagh has revealed however helium emailed AFL clubs successful a hopeless effort to beryllium picked up successful this year's draft.

The 25-year-old's lifelong imagination was yet realised erstwhile helium was drafted by Essendon with prime 50 connected the 2nd nighttime of the AFL Draft, a imagination that had been years successful the making.

McDonagh was taken aback by the selection, which came aft a coagulated play with Richmond's VFL side, and explained however he'd taken matters into his ain hands successful the lead-up to the draft.

READ MORE: Dustin Martin's assemblage translation turns heads connected return

"I was expecting nothing," McDonagh said.

McDonagh (L) pictured with his chap Essendon draftees connected their archetypal time astatine the nine (Getty)

"I wrote to a fewer clubs aft past season, conscionable to get my sanction retired there. I had nary manager truthful I was trying to bash it myself, I conscionable wrote to a fewer clubs and had a effect from a fewer of them.

"A mates of weeks agone I had a telephone from [Essendon database brag Adrian Dodoro] and it was an astonishing call, 1 I'll ne'er forget."

READ MORE: Judges' scorecards astir rob George Kambosos of historical title

READ MORE: Umpire's shocker remains aft NZ batter takes excessively agelong to challenge

McDonagh's enactment is made adjacent much unthinkable by the information that he'd fallen retired of emotion with the athletics and virtually fixed up a mates of years earlier.

"There was religion lost, I gave up footy astatine the commencement of 2018, I went and did [American football] punting with Nathan Chapman astatine ProKick," helium said.

McDonagh pictured during a Prokick grooming league successful Box Hill backmost successful 2019 (Getty)

"I sat down and had a truly bully think, [I] wanted to enactment my champion ft guardant and walk immoderate wealth connected my body, I did that and present I am."

McDonagh is the 2nd subordinate of Richmond's VFL squad to find a spot connected Essendon's database aft halfback Sam Durham was picked up by the Bombers successful the mid-season draft.

"Garrett is simply a subordinate who deserves an opportunity," Dodoro told Essendon's website.

"We felt helium was 1 of the amended ready-made players successful the excavation this year. Even though he's 25 years of age, we deliberation he's got a batch of shot near successful him.

"He's an elite left-foot footwear and has fantastic endurance. We're looking guardant to him playing a batch of elder shot for us."

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!

Where are they now: Looking backmost astatine each AFL No.1 draught prime since 2000