"Unreal"

Cooper Hynes couldn’t hide his excitement after being selected by the Dogs in the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft on Wednesday night.

Hynes may have had to wait until Pick 20 to hear his name called, but that didn’t stop the 18-year-old from enjoying an “unreal” moment.

The strong-bodied midfielder caught the attention of the Dogs’ recruitment team, having several conversations with them after a memorable year playing with the Dandenong Stingrays.

“I met with them throughout the year and had some pretty good chats, so I had a little bit of an idea,” Hynes told Fox Footy following his selection.

“But you never know what can happen.

“For it to finally happen – I’m just over the moon.”

Described as a creative and explosive midfielder, Hynes went from strength to strength over the course of the 2024 season, averaging 24 disposals, 11 contested possessions, and 4.7 clearances for the Stingrays.

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The co-captain of the Stingrays also showed his ability to hit the scoreboard, kicking 23 goals from just 15 games.

His performances did not go unnoticed at the junior level, as he finished runner-up in the Stingrays’ best and fairest and was also named in the Coates Talent League Team of the Year.

Hynes credited much of his success to his coaches, teammates, and family for helping him seize the opportunities presented along the way.

“I worked really closely with the coaches out at Dandenong and am really grateful for my time there,” he said.

“They’ve helped me develop so much.

“It was a lot of hard work, but for it to pay off, it’s a pretty good feeling.”

Now officially with a home at Mission Whitten Oval, Hynes is already excited at the prospect of playing alongside some of the players he grew up idolising.

In particular, the new recruit is already dreaming of running out with Western Bulldogs Captain Marcus Bontempelli.

“It’s going to be unreal.

“I grew up watching them play footy, and the fact that I’m going to be out there with them – hopefully next year – I still can’t believe it.”