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WITH Brent Harvey among his family friends, Northern Knights star Jade Gresham hasn't had to look far for advice about carving out a long and successful football career.

Harvey and Gresham's father Jamie were Knights teammates in a TAC Cup premiership team 20 years ago, and 'Boomer' has been a valuable sounding board in the 18-year-old's draft year.

But his dad also knows a bit about forging a lengthy career.

The tough, in-and-under 37-year-old only hung up the boots last year at Parkside, but his love of the game saw him come out of retirement in a one-match cameo appearance for the Victorian Amateur Football Association club this season.

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"(Dad) played at the Knights, won two flags and played with 'Boomer'," Gresham told AFL.com.au.

"They were pretty good mates growing up and they keep in contact.

"I speak to him (Harvey) a bit. He's professional and does all the right things. He's a really good bloke and likes to help people out."

With the countdown on to the NAB AFL Draft in November, Gresham has picked 'Boomer's' brain about what it takes to make it at the elite level, while watching on in awe of the 409-game Kangaroos veteran.

"I've asked him what it's like to be in an AFL environment and asked him about aspects of the game – what I can do when I'm getting tagged or crumbing," said Gresham, the Knights' 2015 captain.

"He said, 'Know who your opponent is and know his weaknesses so you can exploit them. If he's not quick get on your bike a bit more, if he can run all day you don't want to be running in circles, you want to run in short spurts'."

TAC Cup coaches aren't supposed to employ taggers, but Gresham sometimes found himself in the crosshairs of a shutdown player.

It says plenty about his mental fortitude that the 177cm midfielder was equal runner-up in the TAC Cup's Morrish Medal, won the TAC Cup Coaches Award and was named the Knights' best and fairest.

Those gongs followed his Vic Metro MVP award at the national championships, where he averaged 23 disposals and booted six goals.

"I went all right," Gresham said. "It was a nice little award; I was happy with it."

The Parade College student is a natural footballer. Gresham's crafty, can go forward or to half-back and scored a perfect 30 in the goalkicking test at the Draft Combine.

He also performed well in the kicking trial (sixth overall) and clean hands test (seventh) and is right in contention to be picked up in the first-round of November's national draft.

Endurance was an area recruiters wanted to see him improve, and his personal best in the beep test soared from 13.3 to 14.1 at the combine.

"He's one of those people … if you had a football as a lure, he'd getter a better result because he's just drawn to the footy," Knights talent manager Peter Kennedy told AFL.com.au.

"His work ethic during a game and his GPS results are really good."

Gresham - who said it would be "grouse" to end up alongside Harvey at North Melbourne, even though he's a die-hard Carlton supporter – hasn't had the easiest path to arrive at the cusp of becoming an AFL player.

He was part of the Flying Boomerangs' under-15s tour to South Africa – his mum Michelle is indigenous – but failed to make Vic Metro's squad.

But he kept honing his game, played every match as a bottom-ager at the Knights as a small defender and nippy forward, and seized the 2015 campaign with both hands.

"He's probably a fairly shy boy by nature, but he leads by example," Kennedy said.

"The way he conducted himself at training, he did everything to the best of his ability. He was a professional young man as an 18-year-old.

"He had some really good role models who have been AFL players during the year (including Brent Stanton, Josh Caddy and Leigh Adams) as well as the Northern Knights coaches."

Jade Gresham with his Vic Metro MVP award from the national titles. Picture: AFL Media

Kennedy likened Gresham's year to Nathan Hrovat's stellar effort in 2012, when the 175cm Bulldog captained the Knights, won the best and fairest, took out Vic Metro's MVP and went pick 21 in that year's draft.

"As well as his ability to win the footy, when he got it his ability to change direction and get around players (was impressive) and he's got the ability to kick goals outside 50m," Kennedy said.

Now with a little over a month until the November 24 draft, Gresham has to play the waiting game to see where his future lies.

He hopes to stay in Victoria, but is prepared for what might come in the draft.

"I'd probably find it pretty tough missing family and friends," Gresham said.

"But it's your dream so you've got to follow it."