IT WAS the rush of adrenalin that draft prospect Tom Bell loved most about riding BMX competitively, and the unpredictability that each day brings is why he became a police cadet.
But it's the friendships and camaraderie that drew him back to football this year and created the chance at an AFL career after cold calling South Fremantle and asking for a chance to train with the club's WAFL colts team.
Bell has packed a lot into his past two years since moving to Perth from Collie in WA's south-west, racing at the BMX national championships, starting work as a police cadet, and representing WA at the Marsh Under-18 National Championships.
But his focus has narrowed on football as the Telstra AFL Draft draws closer, with clubs expressing interest in the 18-year-old as a proactive, attacking key defender who can intercept in the mould of Jeremy McGovern.
"It's all happened for me pretty recent this year. I just gave Dan (Marie), the talent manager at South Fremantle, a ring and asked if I could come down to pre-season and give it a try," Bell told AFL.com.au.
"He said I could absolutely come down, but I wasn't expecting to really play any games. I was just going there for a good time, make some friends and stuff like that.
"But I started having a stronger pre-season and going well at training, so when I did play some games, it was a really good bonus."
Bell ended up playing 12 matches with South Fremantle's colts team, including an outstanding 27-disposal, 11-mark performance against East Fremantle in August that highlighted his rapid improvement and growing confidence.
His rise this year hasn't been without challenges, however, suffering an ankle injury on the eve of the season that held him out for more than a month.
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The outgoing youngster worked hard at his rehab, however, and made his debut with the Bulldogs in round five, doing enough the following week to earn a call-up for the WA under-18s program.
"I was just over the moon to be honest. I was a late addition, so it was hard for me to get into the team, but I ended up playing the last game and I feel like I did my role well enough," Bell said.
"Once I got added to that program and learned a lot more, I just got a bit of confidence back in myself and started finding a bit of form and playing some good footy.
"I've tried to base my game a bit off Tom Barrass, Jeremy McGovern and Harris Andrews, the way they are able to read the play and see where it's going to go and then leave their player to impact.
"The confidence they have to back themselves is the thing I was trying to work on the most this year."
There's a real prospect Bell might not have found his way back to football after growing "obsessed" with BMX ever since he was introduced to it by a friend in Collie four years ago.
He rose through the ranks in that sport and took all of 2023 off football to focus on BMX, racing in the national championships in Shepparton 12 months ago and falling one place short of the final.
"I just fell in love with it and was riding every single day. I was just obsessed with it to be honest," Bell said.
"I'd come up to Perth every month for what's called a super series where you race everyone in WA, then I competed in state [championships] and then ended up competing in nationals.
"The adrenaline is what I loved the most about it. But then I crashed and I broke my bike, so that was the last time I've ridden to be honest."
A normal day for Bell now involves working at the Fremantle Police Station and joining officers on the road, where he will regularly be caught up in car chases and arrests before hitting the gym in the afternoon to stay fit.
His police cadetship can be put on hold if things go his way at the draft, and Bell said he had enjoyed the unpredictable nature of the role, with every day bringing something different.
He's hopeful now that his decision to call South Fremantle and chase a training spot will pay off, despite often wondering what might have happened if he hadn't taken a full season off football last year.
"I always think about that and what might have happened if I stuck it out with footy, but the way I'm going now I wouldn't change it to be honest," he said.
"I'm just so happy with how far I've come this year and all the friendships that I've made."
