Next stop: the VFL.
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Promising Riverina big man Jack Driscoll has signed with Werrribee Tigers and intends to keep challenging himself in pursuit of his ultimate football goal.
The 19-year-old from The Rock isn't getting his hopes up for this year's AFL draft but nor is he about to give up on the dream.
"It's well and truly still alive. You've got to have hope and they say the taller fellas take a few years to develop so I hope it's true," Driscoll said.
"I won't have my hopes up too high (for the draft on November 24-25). I'll mainly put my focus into Werribee.
"I just want to try to improve and hopefully improve enough to get myself on an AFL list one day."
There was interest from Greater Western Sydney and Frankston too but Driscoll decided this week that Werribee was the best fit for him, where he'll be coached by former Fremantle Docker Michael Barlow, who played 141 AFL games.
"It was the role they'd give me - they said they want to play two ruckmen each game. That gave me a bit of clarity, especially because I can play forward as well so I won't just be in the ruck," Driscoll said.
After spending recent seasons splitting his football priorities between opportunities with the Giants, junior representative squads, and club football when available, Driscoll is keen to sink his teeth into a proper footy season again.
"Since about under 16s, I've been chopping and changing all year and playing between about four different teams. So it's pretty hard to gel when you're playing with different blokes every week," he said.
"It'll be good to have the same 22 you're playing with each week."
Pre-season begins in a couple of weeks. Driscoll will travel for some training but can't fully commit until after harvest on the farm.
He did get a taste of VFL with GWS this year coming up against a team including Josh Caddy and Sydney Stack.
"I played one game of VFL for the Giants, against Richmond," he said.
"That was a pretty tough game (they lost by 97 points). And I played a VFL practice match at the start of the year for the Giants so I sort of know what to expect but it will still be bloody tough, that's for sure."
Driscoll joined Albury Tigers in the Ovens and Murray League this season. However, Giants commitments restricted him to four games in reserve grade. He wasn't ever available two weeks in a row and, before the June 30 deadline, switched home to The Rock-Yerong Creek.
"I was glad I came back because the O and M didn't play a game for the rest of the year (due to COVID). Instead I went back to The Rock and played five games. It was good fun to back and play at home, and win as well," he said.
The 'Pies won four of their last five games, climbing to third on the ladder before the year ended without a finals series.
Driscoll also played 13 games for TRYC in 2019, and was in the 'Pies best in nine of them. He represented the Farrer League senior side that year too, aged just 17.
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