SANDHURST already had a special place in the heart of Harvey Gallagher.

The Bendigo-based Football and Netball Club, where Gallagher has played since he was a kid, was the place where his mum and dad first met. It's also the place that has now reinvigorated the youngster's NAB AFL Draft hopes.

Gallagher, who turned 19 in September, was overlooked by AFL clubs last year. When he was again passed on during the recent NAB AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, he was questioning whether his footy dream was over.

But a stint at Sandhurst in the immediate aftermath of the mid-season draft was the perfect reminder for Gallagher to simply enjoy his football. The versatile 179cm prospect put all distractions to the side, and his season benefited as a result.

"To not get picked up in mid-season, I got a bit down on myself," Gallagher told AFL.com.au.

"Sometimes, it goes through your head that you're only playing to get drafted. You only think about who is watching you. Something that really helped me this year was going back to Sandhurst and playing for my local club where I've always been.

"It just takes the pressure off you. You're just there to have fun and run around with your mates. I think I brought that into the back half of my season and I think that definitely showed in my football."

Gallagher's parents, Dave and Rose, not only met at Sandhurst but also later became life members there. Should their son now find himself on an AFL list during this month's draft, it would add another chapter in the family's remarkable history at the club.

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"I won't go into it in too much detail because they don't like talking about their achievements there, but they weren't too bad," Gallagher laughed, speaking about Dave and Rose's time as footballers and netballers at Sandhurst.

"But to go back there and play good footy and see how proud it made them, it gives you something that you realise why you play footy. It's not to get drafted, it's because you love the game and you love having fun."

Gallagher met with Geelong in the lead-up to the mid-season draft, but concedes he had always thought his chances of ultimately landing at GMHBA Stadium were slim. However, his sizzling form in the second half of the season has now increased the pool of clubs taking note.

After returning from his spell at Sandhurst, the teenager went back to the Bendigo Pioneers and began mixing time in the midfield with spurts from half-back. From there, he then averaged 33.2 disposals from his final six NAB League games.

But clubs still believe Gallagher's impressive ability to hit the scoreboard from the midfield is his most damaging trait. That was evidenced in the fact he finished the year with 26 scoring shots from his last eight appearances with the Pioneers.

"It was a different move, I'd never really played there before," Gallagher said.

"This year was the first time I'd played games in the backline. We sat down with the Pioneers coaching group with Danny O'Bree and spoke about what we could change and Danny threw out the idea of moving me behind the ball and trying to show some of my strengths there.

"I've played everywhere on the ground over the last two years at the Pioneers, so I don't really mind where I play. It's all about whatever suits the team and what's going to benefit everyone else, not only me."

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His strong overage season – where Champion Data notes Gallagher ranked 'elite' for disposals (23.8 per game), score involvements (6.1 per game) and goals (1.3 per game), as well as 'above average' for kicking efficiency (66.3 per cent) – had followed a rather frustrating draft year for the Pioneers midfielder.

Having emerged on the radar of AFL recruiters in the early stages of his 2021 campaign, Gallagher couldn't retain his ball-winning form and never felt he was in the draft calculations of any side.

"I just plateaued and didn't really show my strengths," Gallagher said.

"Obviously, when you get the setbacks of not making the Vic Country team and not getting a Combine invite and then not getting picked up, it gives you a bit of a reality check that maybe it's not going to work out for you. But I think not getting picked up has probably been the best thing for me.

"I'm not saying I'm a perfect human, but I think the growth that I've had – not only as a footballer, but as a person – has been something that I've really worked on this year. Going into this year, with the leadership role at the Pioneers, that helped me develop my communication skills and my football."

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This season has been mixed with its own types of frustrations and challenges for Gallagher, though. His impressive year has meant representative team call-ups, and hardly any consistent football for one particular side.

After starting his season playing for Bendigo, he then played two trial games with a Young Guns under-19s team. He played three VFL matches for Carlton, two NAB AFL Under-18s Championship games with Vic Country, some local footy with Sandhurst, then returned to NAB League action later in the year.

"It gets a bit frustrating, not playing in the same team every week," Gallagher said.

"I found it a little bit hard. I was still living in Bendigo, so not being able to get down to training much … you get down there once a week or once a fortnight. I think I struggled a little bit with that, not having those same sorts of relationships. That was the biggest challenge for me."

But the end result will all be worth it should Gallagher find himself on an AFL list at season's end. That could prove a fitting conclusion to two seasons of ups and downs for the talented youngster.

"If I got the chance, it would mean everything," Gallagher said.

"All of the sacrifice and hard work you put in, it's a little reward for it all. It's not the end point, you've still got a lot of work to do. But it would mean everything, it would be a dream come true."

Don't miss AFL.com.au's huge line-up of draft coverage. NAB AFL Draft Night Countdown is back from Thursday, November 24 with four massive shows in the lead-up to the main event, featuring interviews with draft prospects, coaches, recruiters, list managers and player agents.

Then on November 28-29, catch AFL.com.au's comprehensive coverage of the draft with NAB AFL Draft Night Live with all the picks, expert analysis and highlights.