ON THE morning of last year's NAB AFL Rookie Draft, Sydney Swans list manager Kinnear Beatson called Tom Papley.
Beatson, the long-time recruiter who pieced together the Brisbane Lions' triple-premiership list and the Swans' triumph in 2012, wanted to know if any clubs had contacted the Gippsland Power prospect since he had been overlooked at the national draft three days earlier.
Papley, who had been a plumber throughout 2015 while playing in the TAC Cup, had just started his Friday morning at work. Beatson and the Swans were the first club to be in touch.
"If you're at our first pick in the rookie draft we're going to take you," Beatson told Papley over the phone.
"Are you fair dinkum?" Papley replied, shocked but grateful his chance might be coming.
An hour or so later, Beatson and the Swans selected the energetic small forward with pick 14. Papley was going to stay at work and finish his shift, believing it the right thing to do, but his boss told him to head home. The tools were put down indefinitely.
"I was a bit cut [when I was overlooked], but I knew I had a job to fall back on, so I wasn't stuck in the wilderness. Then the rookie draft came along and I was just praying someone would give me an opportunity," Papley said this week.
"I knew if I got one I would have a good crack at it."
Ten months on, Papley will be a key cog in the Sydney Swans' forward line when it takes on the Western Bulldogs in Saturday's Grand Final.
There were reasons Papley was overlooked by every club – including the Swans – at last year's national draft, which was the second straight year he had missed out.
At the start of 2015, the Gippsland Power were concerned Papley was pigeonholed as a small forward so pushed him into their midfield as an over-aged player. The role didn't suit him as much as being close to goal did, and his form suffered.
Fortunately, Swans recruiter Michael Agresta had noticed Papley's form as a small forward in the pre-season and been impressed, and had hoped to see him shift back there towards the end of the season.
The Power did that, and Papley kicked 10 goals in the final three matches of the TAC Cup season. The Swans were won over, but still had him late in their draft plans.
Other clubs were put off by Papley's size and shape. Some thought he was a little slow, and maybe lacked some polish. Many now acknowledge they got him wrong.
Did they take enough notice of his good bits? Did they spot his inner drive and resilience? Did they give enough consideration to the fact he worked Monday to Friday as a plumber (and often in Melbourne after travelling from the Gippsland area) and was always on his feet? Or has the Swans' system made it easier for Papley to flourish?
The Swans had been searching for a gun small forward for some time, but didn't think it would come in the form of a rookie.
However, the signs early in his time in the red and white gave them cause for optimism. His body shape transformed quickly upon his arrival, he improved his speed, and made an impression.
During the pre-season, the Swans split their list into three groups and appointed three of their leaders to pick who they believed to be in the club's best 22.
Tom Papley celebrates a goal in the preliminary final with Dan Hannebery. Picture: AFL Photos
Lance Franklin was one of the players assigned to make the call, and the only one who had Papley in his side. He saw him as a non-negotiable selection, and has been his biggest advocate throughout the season.
It's not hard to see why. Wherever Franklin has been, Papley has not been far away, and vice versa. He has made a habit of being at Buddy's feet or to his side, knowing plenty of the Swans' forward forays are directed at the champion goalkicker.
Papley has kicked goals in 14 of his 19 senior matches this year, including a three-goal haul on debut against Collingwood and nine goals (so far) in the finals. As much as the Swans liked what they saw when Papley arrived at the club, he has exceeded their expectations by some way. And his own.
"They told me they needed a defensive small forward that can kick goals. So I worked on my defensive pressure and that’s what I base my game around, and the goals have come from that," the 20-year-old said.
"That's all the boys talk about – defensive pressure, defensive pressure – so it's what I've worked on all season."
Papley was weighing up whether to continue playing football after not getting drafted at the end of 2014. He was a promising cricketer, and was tempted in pursuing that further.
His grandfather, Max Papley, urged him to hang up the whites and give his footy another go. Max's history with South Melbourne didn't weigh on the Swans' minds when they were considering Tom as a draft prospect. But it has added an extra dimension to his story.
Max Papley won a best and fairest for South in a brief but excellent career with the club from 1964-67. He was the first person Tom called when he was picked last year. Football runs through the other side of his family tree, too, with his other grandfather Jeff Bray also playing for South Melbourne alongside Papley in the 1960s.
Papley said his family were rapt after his three-goal effort in last week's preliminary final win over Geelong, having ingrained in him important values on and off the field. He will take the same attitude into Saturday's Grand Final.
"After the game they were pretty proud. Max and Dad will ring me this week, and Max's advice is always the same, just have a go and show what you've got," he said.
"That's what I've always tried and do with everything, even with plumbing. I just live by that and I'll do the same on Saturday and see what happens."
