Hussien El Achkar may have spent plenty of time at Essendon but it’s still settling in that he is now an AFL player at the club.
The Essendon Next Generation Academy player was the fifth and final player taken by the Bombers in the recent drafts.
Having trained at the club the past 12 months, he has spent time with most of the playing group.
“It doesn’t feel real, it’s been a couple of days now which is pretty cool,” he said at the club days after being drafted.
“I’ve still got to pinch myself to know if that has happened, it’s pretty cool.”
Draft week was a big week for El Achkar.
On night one of the draft he was at the house of best mate and fellow Essendon Next Generation Academy member, Adam Sweid.
With the Bombers not matching a bid from Fremantle, Sweid’s football future was on the other side of the country.
The pair were then side by side the following night at El Achkar’s house as he waited to find if he would find out whether he would be drafted.
This time round the Bombers matched a bid from Richmond to lock in the forward.
El Achkar said he was on edge all day as he didn’t know whether the Bombers would match any bid for him.
“The whole family was there [night one] and he [Sweid] got picked by Freo, pretty big night,” he said.
“Then Thursday at my house was pretty big as well. Both our dreams came true on both nights so it worked out pretty well.
“It still doesn’t feel quite right that he is at Freo. I think once the season starts running we’ll both know at different clubs.”
On both nights there was a big bunch of family and friends for the two Calder Cannons and Pascoe Vale teammates.
One eager onlooker during the drafts was Bomber forward and now teammate Isaac Kako
The crafty forward had already taken El Achkar under his wing.
“It still feels so surreal coming in with Kak” El Achkar said “I picked him up today [Wednesday]
“Him presenting my jersey [for the Cannons] and hopefully playing on the same ground next year.”
El Achkar said both the Panthers and Cannons have had a big impact on his career.
As has the Bachar Houli Foundation.
Houli, a three-time AFL premiership player, has been among the well wishers.
“He said now the hard work starts,” he said. “This is the easy part.”
El Achkar, who said he went straight to bed after the first day of training, said he was excited to get to work.
“[It’s about] getting used to it and starting training well,” he said. ”Get used to all the boys and get used to the intensity that’s the start and come back from Christmas up and running.
“All the boys are similar age which is pretty good and we all know each other, so good can’t wait for next year.”
