Advice from Crows great Andrew McLeod helped inspire rookie recruit Anthony Wilson to pursue his AFL dream.
Wilson, 22, was secured by Adelaide with the Club’s final pick in Wednesday’s AFL Rookie Draft joining Victorian ruckman Reilly O’Brien and Port Lincoln product Keenan Ramsey as the newest batch of Crows.
After working his way through the junior ranks with Port Magpies, Wilson found his way to Norwood and began Season 2014 under McLeod in the Redlegs’ reserves side.
The speedy wingman worked closely with the two-time premiership Crow at The Parade and quickly won a promotion to the senior side for the SANFL Grand Final rematch on ANZAC Day.
Considered one of the fastest footballers in the country, Wilson then starred for the reigning premiers in his league return in Round Seven, ironically against the SANFL Crows.
He held his spot in the seniors for the next 15 matches and was an integral part of Norwood’s premiership campaign.
Wilson said along with his tight-knit family, McLeod remained one of his biggest mentors.
“I’ve been working really closely with Andrew for about five years now,” Wilson told afc.com.au.
“I got to know ‘Bunji’ pretty well and he coached me at Norwood in the reserves this year.
“We’ve kept pretty close and he’s given me many good tips on how to improve my game along the way.
“I sometimes thought he was being hard on me, but he was actually helping me out.”
McLeod was one of the first to contact Wilson on Wednesday afternoon following the rookie draft, but the 181cm speedster, who has been working as a tutor at Roma Mitchell Secondary College, said he was unusually slow to receive the good news himself.
“I was at work and my computer froze, and from then on I was watching the draft on a five-minute delay.
“My brother called me and said ‘you just got drafted’ but I didn’t believe him because it hadn’t popped up on my computer yet.
“I thought he was playing a practical joke on me.”
After the excruciating wait, Wilson’s name finally appeared next to Adelaide’s pick No.44 and the celebrations began.
“When my work mates saw my name come up, we all just starting fist-pumping and jumping around like lunatics.
“Then my phone went nuts. I reckon I had 100 per cent charge while the charge was on, but then within an hour it was dead flat.
“It was incredible. I sat there pretty stunned and I even choked up a little.”
Wilson, who kicked 13 goals in the SANFL this season, said he was already looking forward to tackling the 20m sprint test after missing out on the National and State Draft Combines.
This year's fastest time was 2.81 seconds set by American athlete Marvin Baynham.
“A few years ago I did the test and I got a 2.98, which probably doesn’t look right.” Wilson laughed.
“But I haven’t got to do it since. Hopefully I get to do it sometime soon.”
