Coming into the season at 20 years of age and with 10 senior games to his name, Garlett just made the cut.
Even he didn’t think he was still eligible to win and was pleasantly shocked to hear he was the round-19 nomination.
“I wasn’t really concerned about getting one but I was pretty surprised to get it,” Garlett told afl.com.au.
“I didn’t know if I was eligible or not so I wasn’t really worried about it. I was just happy to see some of the boys I knew get the award as well,” he said.
Garlett has quite a few mates who have already been nominated for the award this season. Garlett is a graduate of the same program that produced Chris Yarran, Nic Naitanui and Todd Banfield - all of whom have been nominated for the award.
The 21-year-old is still close with his fellow Swan Districts teammates. Yarran followed him to Carlton, while fellow Blues Dennis Armfield and David Ellard also came from the West Australian club.
It’s not his only football network as he has two cousins also playing at AFL level, Cruize Garlett at North Melbourne and Hawthorn forward Lance Franklin.
Garlett says he keeps in touch with his two cousins as often as possible.
“I chat to Buddy every now and again. He lives further away from me. I have a chat to him and I talk to Cruize as well. He’s been going well so I hope he keeps it up," Garlett said.
Garlett would have come into contention for a nomination on several occasions so far this year but it was his six-goal haul against Essendon on Friday night that finally got him over the line.
While some young players might be a bit overwhelmed by the idea of playing against their team’s traditional rivals on the big stage in front of a large crowd, Garlett says he thrives on the audience.
“I love playing footy. To play in front of a big crowd makes me pretty nervous but once you’re out there playing footy, you have a good time. Sometimes you get the energy from the crowd and you get up and about,” he said.
The Blues at full flight are difficult for opposition clubs to plan against and much of that has to do with the prospect of finding match-ups for Garlett and fellow small forwards Yarran and Eddie Betts.
He says the trio have formed quite a bond since Yarran and Garlett arrived at the club at the start of 2009.
“The three of us are close together. Chris and I live together which is good for both of us. Chris and I played at the same junior club as well. I was a year above him,” he said.
“We’ve known each other for a long time and Eddie took us under his wing. We got to know him pretty well and we’re pretty much like brothers.”
