Mid-season draft prospect Ryan Maric is less than 48 hours away from potentially realising his AFL dream.
But an AFL berth would have been the furthest thing on his mind in recent years after tipping the scales at as much as 107 kilograms just three years ago.
Maric, 19, has gone through an incredible journey to lose more than 20 kilograms since and is now expected to be one of the first picked in Wednesday’s mid-season draft.
Speaking to SEN WA’s The Run Home, the mobile forward says the hard work was worth it.
“It sounds pretty surreal, it’s all come pretty quickly,” he admitted on the prospect of joining the West Coast Eagles at pick 1.
“I wouldn’t complain, I’d love to go anywhere to live my dream.
“At 15 I had a massive growth spurt, I grew 30cms in just over a year and a half and then I sort of had a couple of lower back issues and started to put on weight from there when I was 15, had to turn down the (Gippsland) Power program… I started to lose the weight end of 2020 and I’ve gone from 107 kilos down to 83 kilos.
“It’s been a lot of hard work but it’s all paid off now which is good.”
Maric credits his brother, who was also in a similar situation, for getting him on a diet and program that kickstarted the weight loss program.
But nevertheless, Maric wouldn’t be able to be selected on Wednesday if not for a smart move late last year.
Finding his way to the Gippsland Power, Maric knew he wouldn’t be drafted but nominated at the insistence of the club’s talent manager, Scott McDougal.
Without that nomination, Maric wouldn’t be in the position he is today.
“It’s a funny one that one,” he said.
“I had no interest in all last year, I had glandular fever at the start of last pre-season so that sort of ruled me out for three months, it knocked me back heaps.
“I didn’t really do a pre-season with anyone, just played at my local footy club… then got the call up to Power mid-season.
“Coming off no pre-season having glandular fever, I came into the Power program pretty underdone and probably only played three games there and didn’t do much.
“I purely nominated because our Power talent manager, Scott McDougal, drilled into all our top ages to just nominate even if you’re not getting picked up, there’s always other opportunities later on.
“So all credit goes to him there.”
Fremantle great Paul Hasleby noted: “That’s a stroke of genius.”
As for his pitch to clubs, Maric hopes they focus on his untapped potential.
He's played his first two VFL games in recent weeks for Box Hill, booting two goals in each while averaging 13.5 disposals.
“I feel like I’ve got so much upside, I’m still pretty raw I guess,” he added.
“I’ve only had one pre-season in a professional program, so imagine if I could focus on footy 100 per cent and not having to do uni and work and all that sort of stuff.
“I sort of model my ground on a Bayley Fritsch type, a mobile forward, as well as a Jeremy Cameron type who can now get higher up the ground, even play on the wing…
“Probably those two are the ones that draw my eyes.”
Clubs have until 5:00pm AEST to open up a list spot, but less than a dozen are expected to take a pick.
West Coast – who Maric met with as recently as Monday – holds pick one and the club confirmed on Tuesday they would make a selection.
Gav Bell confirming @WestCoastEagles mid-season draft approach this morning!
— SEN WA Mornings (@SENWAMornings) May 30, 2023
GB - “We’ll just go with the one pick at this stage, give Jamaine and other injured players that are destined to return in the back half of the year, every opportunity to do so.”#AFL @AFLNation
The draft gets underway from 7:00pm on Wednesday and can be streamed live through AFL.com.au.