Buoyed by support from the likes of Nat Fyfe, AFL draftee Deven Robertson has a point to prove.
The WA under-18 captain was embarrassed on Wednesday night when he was the only invited player not taken in the draft’s first round.
But after a night of minimal sleep, Robertson was the first player taken when the draft resumed on Thursday night at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium.
Brisbane traded with Port Adelaide to secure the opening pick of the second round and pounced on him.
“Being overlooked by so many clubs I do feel like I will have an opportunity to prove them wrong a little bit,” Robertson said after the Lions recruited him.
“But I definitely don’t hold any grudges against those clubs – I know it’s a business.
“I’m definitely not angry and I’m not holding any grudges, but I do feel like I have a little bit of a point to prove.”
Robertson said Fremantle captain and two-time Brownlow Medallist Fyfe was among several people to offer support after Wednesday’s setback.
“He (Fyfe) sent me quite a lengthy text and just said that it was just a little bump in the road,” he said.
Robertson said sitting through the first night of the draft had been tough and he and his family thought about returning to Perth.
“It was embarrassing being the only person left in the room and seeing all of the other boys walk out on stage and not being up there,” he said.
“But I’m on top of the world now, I can’t wipe the smile off my face.
“I didn’t want to run away from what had happened. I wanted to go home a drafted man.
“I went to sleep for a couple of hours then woke up at about 3am and couldn’t sleep, I’m pretty tired.”
Robertson is the nephew of former West Coast captain Darren Glass, who is in the Eagles draft room.
Francis Evans is the first smoky of this year’s draft, with Geelong using pick No.41 to take the small forward.
Evans only played three games for the Calder Cannons, spending most of this season in the Victorian amateurs.
The second night moves also featured the first two father-son selections this year, with Port Adelaide taking Jackson Mead at No.25.
He is the son of Power player Darren Mead.
Hawthorn then matched Sydney’s bid at No.29 to take Finn Maginness, whose Dad is two-time Hawks premiership player Scott Maginness.