We did have a practice match for the potential rookies yesterday. See bold part below....
Any further info from anyone on how they all went?--------------------------------------
Draft hopeful Jamie Sheahan in limbo after family moved out
Sam Edmund | December 11, 2008
JAMIE Sheahan is looking for a home - on and off the field.
The Murray Bushrangers midfielder was overlooked in last month's national draft, despite an impressive resume that included a TAC Cup premiership, representing Vic Country and attending the draft camp.
Sheahan will throw his hat in the rookie draft in a final bid to achieve his AFL dream but, unlike his contemporaries, he also has to find a place to live.
Sheahan's parents relocated from Mansfield to far north New South Wales in January after receiving an offer they could not refuse.
And the 18-year-old, who was a boarder at Assumption College, has finished Year 12 and moved out.
He has since been floating around Melbourne staying with family and friends as he counts down the days to Tuesday's rookie draft.
"It's been pretty hectic," Sheahan said yesterday.
"I can stay with a few mates and aunties and uncles and I know a few people and everyone's been pretty welcoming so it's not too bad.
"It can be hard when you're just sitting around and not knowing what's going to happen."
Sheahan flew up to visit his parents before the national draft on November 29 hoping to celebrate his graduation to the AFL.
He planned to immediately jet back to Melbourne if his name was read out, but the draft came and went without it happening.
"It was a bit disappointing because if I had an excuse like I'd missed a few games or I hadn't gone to draft camp, you could understand why they don't want you, but I've done everything I could have done," Sheahan said.
"You can never get your hopes up. You just don't know what clubs want or don't want, but I've thrown my name up there and it's all up to them.
"You've just got to keep persisting and hope it starts to go your way."
Coburg VFL coach Jade Rawlings phoned the teenager a month ago offering him a training home if things did not work out on draft day.
Sheahan returned from NSW on Monday to take up his offer.
"I got back on Monday morning and trained with Coburg that day and Francis Jackson, one of Richmond's recruiting managers, said, 'We want you down for a Wednesday game and Friday training and we'll see how we go from there'," Sheahan said.
So the speedy midfielder blew out some cobwebs yesterday at Victoria Park in a Richmond practice match.
"I was a bit scrappy, as you'd expect for December not having much run under your belt, but I went as good as I probably could have, I suppose," Sheahan said. "I'll probably do more recovery and weights at Coburg tonight and hopefully train with Richmond on Friday and see what happens from there.
"It's sensational at Richmond and you just try to learn what you can in the time you have there.
"You pick their brains because they've all been through it before."
Sheahan captained Assumption College to win the Herald Sun Shield this year.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl/story/0,26576,24783514-19742,00.html
