WHILE most youngsters dreaming of playing AFL have a single-minded focus on their footy, Brisbane Lions' rookie Stephen Wrigley had his head down in another field.
After playing his junior career at Blackburn in Melbourne's Eastern Football League, Wrigley decided to temporarily put the boots away in Year 12 to concentrate on his studies.
It was a sound decision. Once finishing school, Wrigley studied prosthetics at university and began juggling his academic pursuits with a return to Blackburn's senior team.
"When I grew up, like most kids I dreamed of playing footy, but I'd decided the chances of making AFL were slim and I was better off doing school and uni right," Wrigley said.
Just one of 25 graduates from the course each year, Wrigley, 24, relocated to Brisbane in late 2009 to work for a private company out of the Mater Hospital, where he has since completed further studies in orthotics.
"I was basically learning to make artificial limbs," he said. "I've only done orthotics since I came up here. We make splints for kids with cerebral palsy and spina bifida, all the way through to fractured bones and older people with arthritis.
"Not everybody gets to make it in the AFL, so once I finish footy I've got life sorted out still, so I can just slot straight back in."
Not only did Wrigley's move to Queensland help his professional career, it also propelled his football to the next level.
The rebounding half-back played two seasons for Labrador in the QAFL/NEAFL, winning the club's best and fairest in 2011.
Wrigley lives in Brisbane, but said making the 70km drive down the Pacific Motorway to training was something he had enjoyed doing.
He played alongside former Lions Tim Notting and Aaron Shattock and said it was only recently he realised they might be interested in taking him in last week's NAB AFL Rookie Draft.
"The Lions didn't contact me too much until just before the draft," he said.
"It was always my hope that I'd get picked up by Brisbane, because it's a good club and it's where I'm living and I'm really quite settled up here.
"I think there's a lot of talent running around that are capable of playing AFL footy but are playing lower levels because the opportunity never rocked up."
Wrigley said although his focus was now on making the best fist he could of footy, he would still work when he could.
"I know there's opportunities for guys to study so I don't see it as a problem to do a few hours of work a week to keep my hand in," he said.
"I've spoken to my boss about that and he's quite comfortable and more than happy to be flexible. He'll give me stuff to do where I'm not using grinders or drills or things where I could cut my hand off."
Michael Whiting covers Brisbane Lions news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @mike_whiting
The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
