On Wednesday night, Benalla local Joe Berry will likely live out his childhood dream of becoming an AFL player.
The young gun has put together a remarkable 2024 campaign, which has seen him touted among the top prospects entering the AFL Draft, and if all goes to plan, he will hear his name called out inside the first round at Marvel Stadium.
Having only played a handful of games for the Murray Bushrangers in the Coates Talent League during his bottom-age season last year, and finding himself on the fringes of the Victoria Country squad over summer, the small forward exploded on to the scene this year, and put forward an irresistible case to recruiters.
Bushrangers coach Mark Brown, who was also assistant coach for the Vic Country side this year throughout the national championships, said Berry had always had the AFL attributes, but it was his attitude towards training this year that had seen him reap the rewards.
“He’s developed rapidly over the last 12 months,” Brown said of Berry, who is regarded as one of the top two small forwards in this year’s draft.
“He made Vic Country under-16s so he’s obviously been a talented junior, (and) his bottom-age year at Coates Talent League level he played half a dozen games.
“His draftable traits were always there, it was just a matter of him harnessing them, which to his credit, off the back of a really strong preseason and embracing real training resilience, he’s had a season that rivals almost anyone in the Coates Talent League or the junior competitions across Australia.”
That’s no exaggeration from Brown, either.
Berry kicked 27 goals across 14 Coates Talent League games this season, including hauls of four goals in four of the first five games of the season, clinching the Murray Bushrangers’ best and fairest and securing a spot in the Coates Talent League Team of the Year.
A stellar campaign with the Victoria Country squad at the national championships only further enhanced Berry’s draft stock, playing all four games and booting nine goals to top the goalkicking tally, duly being named All-Australian for his efforts.
The stunning season has seen Berry draw comparisons to All-Australian Hawk Dylan Moore and catapult up draft boards, with experts predicting he will be picked up between picks 10 and 20.
It’s a remarkable turnaround, considering Berry was thought to be a longshot to make the Vic Country side over summer, before evidently something clicked for the crafty forward.
But there isn’t one moment you could pinpoint as the turning point, Brown said, rather a number of conversations surrounding the necessary standard required to make it.
“It’s never a silver bullet — a lot of people look at kids that get drafted and they think there’s a silver bullet moment, but there never is,” he said.
“It’s just the gradual understanding of how hard it is to get drafted and how hard you’ve got to work. Very, very few players come into the system with an understanding of that, and the ones that inevitably make it are the ones that embrace it.
“To Joe’s credit, as a bottom-ager he probably struggled with it a little bit, but there were some circumstances that contributed to that as well.
“But in his top-age preseason and throughout 2024, his training standards were exceptional, and as a result, his form reflected that and he continued to get opportunities which he deserved, and he grabbed hold of them.
“So, never a silver bullet moment, it was just a lot of conversations around understanding this is what the standard looks like, this is what you’ve got to do to give yourself an opportunity.
“You’ve got some draftable traits, but if you’re going to harness them, this is what you’ve got to execute session after session, day after day, week after week, and he’s done that over the last 10 months.”
While footballing ability is no doubt top of the list for AFL clubs when assessing potential draftees, personality is an important factor too, with young guns undergoing a series of interviews at the national combine for club’s to gauge the sort of person they will be selecting.
Beyond the elite foot skills and exhilarating top speed Berry brings, Brown explained, is a young man well-suited to the AFL environment.
“He's a terrific kid, highly respected,” Brown said.
“As I said, over the last 10 to 12 months, he’s embraced a really ruthless work ethic, which has been fantastic. Whoever picks him up will be gaining a really diligent, really respectful, highly likeable kid.”
Coverage of the first round of the 2024 AFL Draft commences at 6.45pm on Wednesday, November 20 on AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App, while Fox Footy and Kayo will begin their coverage from 7pm.