Deep into the final night of the 2024 AFL draft, Keighton Matofai-Forbes believed all hope was lost in being selected.
But, just as his footballing dreams began to shatter, Geelong came to the party and picked up Matofai-Forbes with pick 69.
And the New Zealand-born youngster didn’t even believe his dream came true until he started hearing it from those around him.
“It was possibly the lowest of lows and the highest of highs in a single day. It’s definitely the biggest moment of my life to date,” he said on SEN Radio on Saturday.
“I was pretty sure that I wasn’t going to go (be drafted) the whole night. I was sitting there with a bit of a frown on my face I wasn’t too happy, and I was just waiting for my name.
“The last pick rolls around and I’m packing my things, and everyone is passing on their picks and I was like, ‘nope it’s not happening’.
“All of a sudden, my phone starts going off and next thing you know I’m seeing my name across the big screen and Laura (Kane) was calling out my name and I was just screaming and crying.”
It made the painful waiting all the more worth it, especially to land at the Cats, one of the league’s modern-era giants, who boast a strong culture and footballing program.
“I know that I can bring my attributes, my power and my strength,” Matofai-Forbes said.
And it’s his energy that makes him stand out from the rest, the 188cm forward believes.
“The energy down at the club, I think every club values having those very energetic people, and I think I can bring that on and off the field no matter what,” he said.
But before he could celebrate the magic of being drafted, Matofai-Forbes had to endure an injury, which he was sure would impact his chances of even getting there.
Early in the Vic Metro season, he tore his hamstring which left him battling to make it back before year’s end.
“In the Vic Metro game, I tore my hamstring, I was pretty much down and out since then I thought,” he said.
“Not being able to get back on the field absolutely shatters anyone, you’ve got to feel for all the other boys that get injured as well. It’s something you don’t take lightly but you take it on the chin and do what you can.
“Now I’m pretty much fully recovered and keen to get stuck into an AFL pre-season.”
Alongside his fellow Cats draftees, Matofai-Forbes made the pilgrimage down to Geelong earlier in the week to start his career.
