LUKE Davies-Uniacke has been asked the question several times already, and knows it will come up again soon enough.
The past couple of interviews the highly-rated draft prospect has had with interested clubs, they've eventually reached the topic of surfing, and get to chatting about his love of being out on the water and his skill of finding a wave and getting up on the board.
The 18-year-old has answered with stories of growing up in the beach town of Rye in Victoria's peninsula and of his surfing heroes Andy Irons and Mick Fanning. And then it comes.
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"They say, 'Do you love football? Is it what you really want to do?'" Davies-Uniacke told AFL.com.au.
"And I say it definitely is. I always say that surfing is one of those laid-back things I do in my off time. I think there is maybe a perception I'm too laid back but that's just the lifestyle I live coming from Rye.
"There's not a lot to do around here, I don't really live near anyone and I've got the beach right there, so why not?"
Davies-Uniacke's passion for surfing started as an eight-year-old, when his parents gave him his first board (it's one of six he still has).
During winter he pulls on his wetsuit and wanders to the nearby beach whenever the waves are up, and in summer he has been known to spend six hours out there waiting for the perfect one to ride. For Davies-Uniacke it is as much a release as an obsession.
"It cleans you and relaxes you and gets out the negativity of the week or the day. I love the freedom of it," he said. "It's definitely one of my getaway moments, and if I'm ever having a hard day I go out there and it cleans everything out."
Surfing used to be a priority for Davies-Uniacke, but not any more. The midfielder shapes as a likely top-five pick at November's NAB AFL Draft, and is one of the leading contenders for the No.1 choice. The switch in his mind to making football his first focus happened at the under-16 championships.
"That's when it became serious for me. Before then I wasn't thinking too far ahead or about what I wanted to do," he said.
"I was just playing local footy and going to the local high school with everyone and cruising around, surfing and stuff. But at the under-16s carnival managers kept coming up to my parents and I kept seeing recruiters more and more in the crowd, so I thought maybe it was a chance of happening.
"That's when I wanted to make it my lifestyle. It definitely is the No.1 thing for me now. I want to be kicking a footy every day."
Luke Davies-Uniake shows his determination amongst the waves. Picture: Michael Willson
Davies-Uniacke's season has proved he will be doing that for some time. After an illness- and injury-interrupted year on 2016, which saw him finish with a shoulder reconstruction, Davies-Uniacke wanted to prove he was durable this season.
He's been able to do that. He started his campaign with a strong outing at TAC Cup level, and then backed it up with an excellent game for the NAB AFL Academy against the Northern Blues in April, when he collected 22 disposals and six clearances against many AFL-listed players.
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He entered the recent under-18 carnival as one of the most hyped players, and started with a 34-disposal best-afield display against the Allies. His next three games weren't as good, and he didn't make the All Australian team, but Davies-Uniacke believes he has shown his skills.
"There was a bit of talk at the start of the year that I got injured too much, but this year has been pretty good for that," he said. "It's been a bit of an in and out year in terms of my games, and the championships was like that with a good game in round one, but then I could have been better after that.
"I wasn't too fussed about not being picked as an All Australian. I knew other players deserved it more than me, I didn't have the carnival I wanted to."
Luke Davies-Uniake on the beach at Rye. Picture: Michael Willson
Even still, recruiters are well aware of Davies-Uniacke's traits. He's a big and strong midfielder (187cm, 86kg) who uses his size and pace to dig in, rip the ball out of a stoppage and then get away. His overhead marking is also appealing, and it was on show last weekend when he went forward for the Stingrays (he finished with 21 disposals and two goals).
"Sometimes I forget to use my size on the field – I've got to do it more – but I'm definitely starting to put all those bits into my game more," he said.
Davies-Uniacke's casual demeanour can at times bely the work he's putting in behind the scenes. He joined Haileybury College in year 10, spending an hour in the car every morning and night to get the school's Keysborough base.
He doesn't get back to Rye until after 8pm most Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights in the footy season due to training sessions with his school, club or personal trainer.
Gradually he has grown accustomed to the travel, and is hoping it will be worth it in the next two weeks as Haileybury closes in on capturing the APS premiership.
Since starting at Haileybury, he has seen Kieran Collins (Western Bulldogs), Jack Scrimshaw (Gold Coast), Cam Poulson (Carlton) and Josh Battle (St Kilda) drafted from the school.
Last week Davies-Uniacke headed to Etihad Stadium to watch Battle make his debut against Essendon, with the teenager still a schoolmate as he completes his year 12 studies at Haileybury while starting his Saints career. Seeing others achieve what he wants to has made it feel a little more real for Davies-Uniacke, and he needs no reminder the draft is getting closer.
"I try to keep my mind on other things, and that's where the surfing is good, because I don't think about the draft much out there. But it is really exciting," he said. "All the hard work I've put in over the years, and the same for my parents, will hopefully pay off."
