SOUTH Australian draft hopeful Jake Johansen has never felt like his small stature would stop him from reaching his goal of playing in the AFL.

 

And a recent encounter with the similarly-sized Brent Harvey has made him even more convinced it won't stand in his way.

 

The 18-year-old met Harvey when the South Australian squad trained at Arden Street during this year's NAB AFL Under-18 Championships in Melbourne.

 

A family friend who used to work in recruiting at the Kangaroos suggested the meeting, thinking Johansen could benefit from hearing how another small player overcame the initial hurdle of seeming too small.

 

It was an opportunity Johansen was thrilled to take, having modelled his game on Harvey's across the years.

 

"He was an awesome person to speak to and has awesome knowledge to tap into," Johansen told AFL.com.au during the recent NAB AFL Combine.

 

“He said he was about 65 kilos when he was drafted, which is around my mark too.

 

"A lot of people question if you have the body and size to play at the elite level, which he had to deal with too.

 

"He just wanted to make sure I stayed confident with myself, made sure I just built on that over time, and didn’t try to bulk up as soon as possible."

 

The inside midfielder who can also play on the outside – and "doesn't mind a goal or two" – is one of the smallest players in this year's draft crop at just 171cm.

 

But his talent hasn't gone unnoticed following a SANFL senior debut for the Port Magpies at the age of 16 and the fact Johansen captained South Australia to win the 2014 Under-18 Championships, in his second year in the tournament.

 

From the coastal Adelaide suburb of Henley Beach, Johansen grew up with two older brothers and one younger.

 

While his mother didn't appreciate the backyard games of football that inevitably led to scrapes and bruises, it allowed Johansen to learn how to cop hits from older players – as well as dishing them out to younger ones.

 

From the age of four, he wanted to play football and started his journey at the Henley Sharks, where it was just a short stroll across the road to training.

 

Then he was zoned under the old SANFL boundaries to Woodville West-Torrens before being offered a transfer to the Port Magpies.  

 

"I'd been playing in the under 18s and then [former Magpies coach] Ken McGregor last year was willing to give me a debut," he said. 

 

"It was a proud moment.

 

"We're just lucky enough to have that [SANFL] system … we get the idea of 'men footy', bigger bodies, getting hit harder, faster … you have to be fitter and stronger to play at that level."

 

Johansen missed the first eight weeks of this season after breaking the scaphoid bone in his left hand when he crashed into the fence during the last trial match of the summer.

 

His fortunes changed when he was honoured with the captaincy of the South Australian squad, which he said changed him as a person.

 

He stood up in the championships as a leader and earned All Australian selection after averaging 22 disposals and four clearances.

  

"Being captain taught me a lot about myself and also the other boys and how you have to step up, more probably off the field, organising the boys and making sure they know what's going," he said.

 

"You have to help the understanding between the coaches and the boys, being a link between the two.

 

"It's definitely helped me with my communication and my organisation."

 

His parents weren't keen on Johansen making football his priority while he was at school and wanted to make sure he had a back-up plan in case it didn't work out.

 

So after his year 12 exams are over next month, he'll finish his certificate three in personal training so he has something else to go to if football isn't a full time job in 2015.

 

While he admitted there would be some nervous moments in the lead up to the NAB AFL Draft, Johansen feels he has done everything he could to warrant a spot at a club.

 

Getting a call up to appear at the national Combine three weeks out, after initially thinking he was attending the one-day state meet, was a boost to his confidence.

 

"It's nervous times. I was having a chat to some mates who are in a similar position – footy's done with so we can't really have much say on it now," he said.

 

"At the end of the day, it's not our decision where we go or even if we go.

 

"We just sit back and enjoy the ride and hopefully you get your name called out … if not, there's always time next year or other pathways towards the dream.

 

"You just have to keep positive and see what happens."