MELBOURNE recruit Dominic Barry found his way to the Demons by a more circuitous route than most.
From Fregon in the APY Lands and a relative of Hawthorn's Amos Frank, he shone at tennis while living in Alice Springs as a youngster.
His graceful movement across a court with a racket in his hand saw him head south at the age of 14 to attend Box Hill Secondary College in Melbourne's eastern suburbs as part of the Evonne Goolagong Tennis Scholarship program.
While Barry had played under-nines and under-11s football with Central Australia's Federals Football Club before leaving, his only connection to the game when he first arrived in Victoria was the fact he was staying at former Carlton great Syd Jackson's place.
The transition to Melbourne, however, was not as easy as he might have imagined and eventually it was decided that he should join his older brother Ben as a boarder at St Pat's in Ballarat in 2009.
Soon after he arrived there he played football with the East Ballarat juniors and was invited to train with the North Ballarat Rebels squad, however, he did not make the best first impression. In both 2010 and 2011 he trained with the squad for four weeks, then was gone. A line was as good as put through his name.
At St Patrick's College he played seconds football, finding 54 players selected ahead of him in the first 18 during 2011.
His position in the pecking order had nothing to do with his football talent though and he soon knew it too.
When he kept pestering the St Patrick's coach Howard Clark for a game in the ones, he was told that he would need to change his attitude to school in order to be considered for selection.
Clark knew he had talent - he considered him good enough to be drafted eventually - but he also knew Barry would need to change his ways if he wanted to realise that skill to its full extent.
Remarkably he did, showing enough in 2012 to have Melbourne excited about his prospects and anyone who has come into contact with him rapt with his development.
"I'm just really proud of him," Clark said. "Here is a boy that 12 months ago was a long way from being on an AFL list and [his story is] just one of perseverance and commitment and change in attitude."
Clark was one of many congratulating Barry on Tuesday after the Demons made him part of a trade with Greater Western Sydney that saw picks three and 13 go to GWS in exchange for pick two in the mini-draft, pick 20 and Barry.
It is considered a good deal too, with one respected AFL recruiter from another club assessing Barry as an early to mid-second round pick and a quality person to boot.
The Rebels regional development manager Phil Partington admitted his TAC Cup club wondered whether Barry warranted a third chance as they assembled a list for 2012. However, when they heard of the efforts he was making to turn things around, they were happy to take the punt.
Barry did not disappoint.
Such was his impact that Partington described the moment when Barry reached his initial goal of making the Rebels list as "a moving experience."
"He had to make a few life choices and a few life decisions," Partington said. "He made the right choice. He wanted to really pursue his football and really pursue his studies and he has worked really hard with the Rebels and with St Pat's College to get to where he wants to."
A former coach in Central Australia, Scott Weily had texted Barry too when he heard he had joined the Demons, excited to see him get an opportunity that seemed a long way away only 12 months ago.
"He's a really nice kid, [a] top kid actually, and great with his family," Weily said. "I think he is a young Michael Long, very similar playing ability. I rate him as highly as that. I think he has got the capabilities of being something very special."
Although Clark makes a similar comparison, everyone including Barry understands he has a long way to go before he reaches such lofty heights on the football field.
"For all of the hard work to get here - it's all paid off until now, but this is where it all begins again," Barry told melbournefc.com.au.
He knows he will need time to develop physically but he will also provide Melbourne with run and pace, something the team lacks.
His form has been outstanding in 2012, an explosive runner who performed well for the Northern Territory in the AFL Under-18 Championships and finished top 10 in the repeat sprint, running vertical jump, kicking efficiency test, beep test and 3km run at last week's NAB AFL Draft Combine.
He kicks with his left foot, bounces with his right hand and carries the ball in a distinctive style when he runs, a moving picture that inspires wonder.
"He's just a graceful mover in whatever he does," Clark said.
He has many supporters throughout the country, hoping he succeeds in whatever he does. They know what he can offer on the field and understand his respect and love for indigenous culture and where he came from and what he might offer away from it too.
He has his chance.
The ball is in Barry's court.
