READ PART ONE: Rocket man Callum Ah Chee out to prove his hanger is no fluke

PART TWO

SATURDAY, JULY 11, 2015

CALLUM Ah Chee told himself one thing before he ran out for South Fremantle's reserves this morning: have fun. For the past three months, that's been tougher than it seems.

Ah Chee's form since his breakout game at the MCG has dropped away, and despite flashes of his talent, he wasn't happy with his output for Western Australia at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships.

He's thought so much about being drafted at the end of the year that he hasn't taken in the ride. "I haven't really enjoyed my footy much this year," he says. "I put heaps of pressure on myself and it doesn't help how I play."

He took the shackles off against Claremont at the Perth Showgrounds. In his first game since the under-18 carnival finished two weeks ago, he gathered 23 disposals, took six marks and kicked two goals in his WAFL reserves' debut.

Pressure release: Ah Chee celebrates a goal for WA's Under-18s side. Picture: AFL Media

The expectations weren't as high on Ah Chee at club level as they had been when he was deemed the most talented prospect in his under-18 state team. Importantly, he had taken the pressure on himself.

"It was frustrating because if I played a bad game in the champs I'd replay it over in my head," he says. "I could see myself doing the same things wrong the next game, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I wish I could've."

Ah Chee didn't get a chance to ease into the carnival when Western Australia faced South Australia in the opening game at the end of May. Ah Chee had never been manned as closely as South Australian tagger Stephen Tahana did, and he found it difficult to break through.

He was planted in the forward 50, but was not allowed to roam up the ground and work Tahana off him with his speed. He still collected 14 disposals and had four inside-50s in a one-point win, but felt he had more to give.

Ah Chee battled early in his draft year. Picture: AFL Media

His fortunes didn't turn quickly, and although he kicked two goals from 13 disposals in round two against Vic Country, he was disappointed in his game. Western Australia lost by 105 points, and he felt he struggled, fumbled at ground level, and wasn't his usual self.

He was upset for a couple of days, but went to training and was told he'd be lining up at half-back for game three against South Australia. It was a new position and it sounded like a way to get more involved in the game. He had 20 disposals and was better, but his team was thrashed again, this time by 73 points.

The heavy losses didn't abate. In round four, a struggling Vic Metro side travelled to Perth and beat the locals by 74 points at Domain Stadium. Ah Chee lined up on the wing, but played what he thought was his worst game. He found just 12 touches and struggled to break the lines.

Afterwards, he was shattered. He knew people were watching and hoping he'd play well, but he had so many things running through his head that he had almost forgotten what he was good at.

"Where is the running? The speed? The big marks? The goals?" one recruiter asked.

"We know he can play, but it's hard to understand what's happened to his footy after that game in April. Is it the team? He just hasn't been able to put any form together."

A bit of introspection

In his self-analysis, Ah Chee discovered he had strayed from what he's good at.

"I needed to back my strengths in," he says. "I was focusing too much on structures and being defensive. I get caught up a lot doing all the disciplined things, instead of playing instinctively.

"We're taught to play to structures, so when I got the ball I didn't play on instinct. I was too bogged down on starting points or where I should be standing."

Michael Ablett, the AFL's national talent manager, said Ah Chee needed to believe in himself more. "I don't think Cal knows quite how good he is, and how good he's going to be," Ablett said.

This year's U18 carnival offer up no easy games. Picture: AFL Media

There was also the hype that came with the tag as 'Western Australia's best draft prospect'. His parents worried about the amount of attention he was getting, finding that they'd often open the local paper and see another article about him. Ah Chee, too, sensed the hopes on his shoulders and thought he had to star.

"I thought I had to do something special for the team in order for us to win. Being seen as the top draft prospect, I put a lot of pressure on myself," he says.

"There was a lot of hype and it was hard not to see articles saying I hadn't played well."

He saw better reports the next week and deserved them, after kicking two last-quarter goals to steer Western Australia to an 18-point win over Vic Metro at Simonds Stadium.

The goals came at a tight stage of the game, and showed his sure skills and marking prowess as a smaller forward. His coaches isolated him forward, and he was too clever for his opponent in a match-winning last term.

I put a lot of pressure on myself, Ah Chee admits. Picture: AFL Media

He and his team couldn't back it up the following week against the eventual championship-winning Vic Country side, losing by 32 points, but they were more competitive than their first meeting earlier in the carnival.

The loss ended a frustrating eight weeks for Ah Chee.

"I was pretty inconsistent, and unfortunately I didn't play how I wanted to," he says. "It would have been much better had I stuck with my instincts and played to my strengths, but it's gone now."

It's gone, but only to an extent. Ah Chee knows recruiters will want to know what happened in the championships. He has meetings booked with North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs in the next couple of weeks, and has been told more clubs will be visiting soon.

Mixed view of potential

Scouts aren't sure what to make of his carnival form, and where he now sits in the pecking order.

"We know he can play; there's no an issue with that," one recruiter said.

"But it was a disappointing period for him. For me he still is a first-rounder, but he might have drifted out a little bit."

Ah Chee (right) at the NAB AFL Draft Combine with fellow prospects Darcy Parish (l) and Harrison Himmelberg. Picture: AFL Media

Another recruiter acknowledged Ah Chee's dip, but said clubs would be looking further down the line.

"He's still a young kid – he hasn't turned 18 yet," he said.

"We've got to remember they (juniors) have their ups and downs, and we're looking for AFL traits that will stand up at the next level.

"Cal has plenty of those, and if he plays some good footy at senior level in the WAFL in the next month or two, people will push him back up."  

That's the goal for Ah Chee, who hopes he might even be able to break into the senior team next week.

Before his reserves game, senior coach Todd Curley told him he was not just being picked for experience.

"You're here because we want you to play," Curley said. "And if you play well, you'll get a gig."

Once Ah Chee gets into the seniors, he wants to stay there.

"I'd like to play at least four WAFL games, but I'm the only one who can make them pick me. It's up to me," he says. "Maybe the championships were the kick up the arse I really needed. We'll have to wait and see."

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2015

THREE weeks ago, Callum Ah Chee travelled to Melbourne for three days of testing at the NAB AFL Draft Combine at Etihad Stadium. 

He didn't nail any of the tests like he had hoped – for the first time while doing the 20-metre sprint, Ah Chee didn't break three seconds – and in the events he was worried about, his struggles were evident. His relatively poor 3km time trial (11:33 minutes) wasn't how he hoped to end the combine.

It's 20m sprint time for Ah Chee at the Combine, but he fails to crack three seconds. Picture: AFL Media

The combine was the final stop for Ah Chee's 2015 draft season, and he felt it closed a "pretty disappointing" year. After a few days of being down, Ah Chee is looking ahead. The draft is rapidly approaching and he wants to put this year behind him. His indifferent combine testing hasn't dented his belief he can make it.

"I've got heaps of room for improvement. If I am to get onto an AFL list, being around elite players and coaches who have been in the system for a long time would teach me a lot," Ah Chee says.

"The pressure would be off in some ways if I did get to an AFL club. I'd be a small fish in a big pond. That'll help, and I think I have a lot of potential."

Finally finding his spot

Ah Chee showed that in more consistent patches in the final part of his season, when he graduated to South Fremantle's senior team. His elevation came just a week after his first reserves game, and his debut was a local derby – against rival East Fremantle.

His first mark was a 'speccie' on the wing, and he kicked a goal early. He then booted two final-term majors to help win the game for the Bulldogs, both from tight angles. The lift in standard saw Ah Chee rise as well.

"It was right up there as the best game I played this year. The best thing about the senior side was the team-first mentality," he says. "Everyone was telling me where to run and that helped me get the ball a little more.

"At state level I found some boys think a little bit about themselves more than they think about the team. The thought of trying to impress sat in the back of minds but when we were all thinking about the team, we played better. I definitely noticed the difference with the senior side."

Ah Chee felt his Combine closed a "pretty disappointing" draft year. Picture: AFL Media

Ah Chee held his spot in the seniors for the rest of the season, mixing some attractive, speedy and classy performances with some quieter ones. He played without fear or restriction: the coaches gave him freedom to go for his marks and shots at goal, and there was no concern if it didn't work out. 

"I was very pleased I was able to play some good games towards the end of the year in the seniors. It was probably the challenge I needed and it came at the right time, nearly straight after my bad championships," Ah Chee says.

"The hardest thing this year was being able to show my strengths. There was a lot of pressure on me to perform at under-18 level and I think I struggled with that a fair bit. I'm definitely more confident in myself and how I can play after doing it at senior level."

The jury's still out

Recruiters were pleased with what Ah Chee was able to show at senior level with South Fremantle, but they still had questions to ask. He met with six clubs on the back end of the season, and then had another 10 interviews during the combine.

He feels like some have judged his season a little harshly. "Some are very confrontational in interviews which is a challenge. But when criticism is positive and constructive, it is a lot better," he says.

At the combine he enjoyed his chats with St Kilda Adelaide, Carlton and Greater Western Sydney. He likes the idea of going to the Crows because it would mean he is in the same city as his brother Brendon, but Ah Chee's bright smile would light up no matter who calls his name on draft night.

Recruiters pulled no punches in interviews with the highly rated prospect. Picture: AFL Media

The Power haven't interviewed Ah Chee properly all year apart from their short, scheduled chats as part of the NAB AFL Academy program. "They probably don't need to get to know me too much – they already know the whole family pretty well," Ah Chee says.

Brendon enjoyed a strong end to the season for the Power, playing the final four games to close out his fourth campaign on the club's list with 11 games. With each game he appeared more comfortable at AFL level, and he signed a one-year contract in August.

Until Brendon's debut in round three, the Ah Chee family hung on every team selection night to see if the half-forward had won a spot. Callum says it still seems strange that his older brother is a semi-regular member of Port's team.

"I've loved this year for him, but it has been weird in a way. When he got drafted I used to think about what it would be like for us to watch him play games on TV, and this year he played and it became normal that he was out there," Ah Chee says.

"And he's actually up there and performing and the coaches were happy with him. It's not like he's wasting a spot. It's great to see him happy. He's really confident, and the whole family is rapt for him."

Brendon has come back to Perth since the Power's season finished, and encouraged his younger brother to make sure once he gets to a club he's ready to run.

Ah Chee has been training with a strength and conditioning coach from the Western Force rugby union team in Perth. He has plenty of time to build up his fitness base – he finished school earlier this month, had his 18th birthday party after the combine, and is counting down the days.

"I've got a program for the gym and I'll do two running sessions a week and three in the gym, too. I know it will improve me in the long-term and I can't wait to get stuck into it," he says.

Ah Chee's season didn't turn out how he envisaged. At the start of the year he pictured consistency, lots of goals, long runs down the wings and big marks. He managed each of those things, but in small doses.

If he could start the year again he would have tried to find a way earlier in the year to relieve himself of other people's high expectations and the pressure that brought.

"He's a really nice kid," one recruiter said. "This year probably taught him he needs to be more demanding on himself. That will come in time."

Ah Chee still looks a likely first-round pick, despite his up and down year, and some clubs rank him as one of the most talented prospects available.

Draft night will give him a chance to leave this season behind and move on to the next stage of his career. He can sense the significance the draft will have on his life.

"I try to steer my mind into other places and not think about it, but it's always there. I've probably thought about it too much this year. That's been one of the things I'd change if I could," Ah Chee says.

"But I know it's a big turning point in people's lives, and it was a massive turning point in my brother's life when he got drafted. Everyone was just so happy when it happened and I want to get that feeling too. It sits in the back of my mind every day." 

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