THE FRAME of the 'Connect Four' board game stands ready to play in the corner of the kitchen in Cam Rayner's family home. Rayner's battles with his mum, Nicole, are renowned in the household, described as almost a Collingwood and Carlton-like rivalry. 

Rayner's strategy relies on dropping the first coloured disc in the middle column and building from there. "A couple of times when she's off-guard she'll let me get three in the bottom row next to each other," Rayner said. "It's good fun." But it's also competitive, a side of the 17-year-old that exists in everything he does.

"I've always been like that. I don't like to lose in anything: it could be a PlayStation game, playing in the backyard with my brother, footy tipping, a wrestle, a game of Connect Four or on the field," he told AFL.com.au this week. "That won't ever change."

That's been obvious in the past 12 months, as Rayner's form has seen him rocket into being a likely early pick at November's NAB AFL Draft. He's even a contender for the No.1 selection, such has been his ability to impact games with his explosive and powerful streak. It's happened quickly.  

Rayner put his name firmly on the radar at the end of last year's TAC Cup season, when he kicked seven goals for the Western Jets against Bendigo and followed it with five the next week against the Calder Cannons. He was recognised by being added to the NAB AFL Academy.

He announced himself as a leading prospect at the MCG in April, when he kicked three goals from 23 disposals in the NAB AFL Academy's 20th anniversary match. The 187cm Rayner was the standout, a performance made more noteworthy given he was carrying a toe injury.

Days before the contest, Rayner tripped and fell down some stairs. The tumble split his right big toe and ripped the nail off, and left him in doubt to feature in the celebration game. He barely trained in the lead-up, and kept out of his boots until game-day.

He kicked as much on his non-preferred left foot as he could, and at times forgot about the piercing pain. "I was never going to miss playing in that game. It was a real chance to showcase my talents against the best players, and I think I took advantage of that," he said.

His ability to push on despite the injury didn't come as a surprise to those who know Rayner well.

Rayner was a fearless kid. He first split his head aged 10 months, after being a little too ambitious and getting the wobbles, and it started a run of times he needed stitches to his head: after falling from the tree in the backyard, when he hit himself on the family's piano, on his first day of school in prep, misjudging a backflip into a pool, and even after a pillow fight with his dad, John.

"We were mucking around and I went into the cupboard, and felt a bit of a knock. I looked up and said, 'Dad, have I done it again?" Rayner said. "My head was stuck on the corner of a drawer and as dad pulled my head the drawer moved out with me."

Sport has come naturally to Rayner. He was always one of the better players for his local club Hillside, near his home in Sydenham in Melbourne's north-west.

He moved to the Doutta Stars in Essendon for a season as an under-16s player and kicked three goals and was named its best player in the Grand Final. Two weeks later, as a 15-year-old, he played in the club's under-18 Grand Final, booted eight goals and again claimed the best afield medal.

Recruiters nominate Rayner as one of the main draft hopefuls to have elevated their stocks this season. And they have continued to rise in the past two weeks, with the damaging midfielder/half-forward dominant in Vic Metro's first two games in the national under-18 championships.

He prides himself on playing well in big games, and opened the carnival with 23 disposals and six clearances against Western Australia at Domain Stadium. He played more as a forward last week against Vic Country, and kicked three first-half goals and finished with 21 disposals.

Rayner is a unique mix of traits. He's strong and tough, can bang the ball a mile on both feet, and has a natural spring in his legs that makes him tough to stop in the air. He's also quick off the mark, and enjoys the physical stuff. Clubs keep telling him he needs to improve his endurance base, but he's confident that will happen.

Cam Rayner's competitiveness shows through in everything he does. Picture: AFL Photos 

"I see myself as a player who can impact a game. Even if I have 12 or 13 disposals, I use the ball well when I get it and think I can influence the game," he said.

"This is the first year where I've been predominantly a midfielder, so I'm still getting used to that side of things. My running has been getting better and I'm learning more about playing there.

"I haven't been fazed by the pressure of going into the championships, even though it does make you think things are getting closer."

Other things have made him feel like an AFL career might only be around the corner. He has signed with a player agent (Robbie D'Orazio at Connors Sports), at a local game of footy recently he had plenty of people he hadn't seen for years come over and wish him well, and he has even won comparisons to Richmond's Dustin Martin for his on-field style (his pre-championships haircut is also very similar to the Tigers' star).

"I've seen that mentioned a couple of times," Rayner said. "I definitely model my game around his ability to impact a game with a couple of big possessions and moments. He bullocks through the midfield and has that clean outside game too, and I like to use my body 'inside' and then hit targets by foot."

Making the top level felt more realistic to Rayner on draft night last year, when he and his family went to close friend Daniel Venables' place to watch proceedings unfold. Venables, a school mate of Rayner at Penleigh and Essendon Grammar and teammate at the Jets, was picked by West Coast with pick 13.

"We came home after that and had a chat about it and said that a year from today we could be in the same position," Rayner said. "I'm nearly finished school and everyone there is thinking about what they're going to do next year and I just try to keep it to myself what I want to be doing, even though I think about it a lot.

"It gets me excited to realise I could be playing out on the MCG or Etihad Stadium or wherever around Australia. I watch footy on the TV and see blokes I played against last year and think, 'I reckon I could do that as well'. I'm excited to see what happens."