Cat-turned-Bulldog Ryan Gardner has no regrets about the way he committed himself in his first AFL life, but his departure taught him plenty.
Gardner's delisting last year – after three seasons at Geelong without playing a senior game – forced him into a crash-course in what life's like away from the AFL bubble.
The 21-year-old key-position player juggled three jobs until the Western Bulldogs threw him an AFL lifeline in Monday night's NAB AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft.
He worked at a bar, for a steam-cleaning business and in a warehouse, but can leave them all behind now he is a full-time footballer again.
"It was a bit of an eye-opener, because I went from obviously being in school, straight onto an AFL list, so it was a bit of an eye-opener to be in the working world," Gardner told reporters on Tuesday.
"Just to have to do that kind of stuff, then go and train and try and play football (was tough), so looking at it now, I'm definitely going to do a lot more study and try and give myself the best crack for after footy as well."
Gardner had no guarantees when he signed for the Bulldogs' VFL side Footscray in the period after his delisting, but saw an opportunity on a list short on genuinely tall players.
At 197cm, the Tasmanian product will contend for positions at either end of the ground for Luke Beveridge's team.
"I'm thinking at the moment I need to play all types of different positions … so that's the kind of mindset I'm going in with," he said.
"I might have to play forward, I might have to play back and I need to be open to playing everywhere, so I just have to hone in on all types of craft and just be ready to go at any end.
"It still feels surreal and to be giving myself an opportunity is pretty incredible and I just have to make sure now that I do everything I can to get my chance, hopefully, at AFL level."
Gardner wasn't the only Footscray VFL footballer to earn an AFL shot on Monday night, with midfielder-forward Kyle Dunkley joining his Bulldogs-listed brother Josh on an AFL list.
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Melbourne selected the 18-year-old with the third choice in the draft, making him the third Dunkley to be on an AFL list, with his father Andrew playing 217 matches for Sydney.
His sister and housemate, Lara, also plays netball for the Melbourne Vixens, with the two of them living with Josh in Kew.
"We have three teams under the same roof (now), so it's pretty full-on," Dunkley said.
"It's really good, because you do learn how you have to live to be a professional athlete and having Josh and Lara to learn off, it's been perfect.
"I've been living with them only since the start of this year, just because I was at boarding school before that … but having them to live with and learn off is amazing."
Dunkley had his official Demons introduction early on Tuesday morning and attention has already turned to whether he can break into the senior side in time to face Josh in round 17.
"It'll be interesting but we'll just have to see," he said of a potential on-field match-up with Josh.
"It's something we'll look forward to and it'd be nice to play against him, but we'll wait and see what happens."
