Northern Knights midfielder Sam Philp has achieved his AFL dream after being selected by Carlton at pick 20 on Wednesday night in the AFL national draft.
After missing out on Vic Metro selection for the national championships, Philp put in a strong back half of the season to bolt into draft contention.
He claimed the Northern Knights best and fairest and earned himself selection for the AFL national combine, where he tested really well.
Speaking at the combine, Philp said missing out on Vic Metro had been his motivation in the second half of the season.
“I was a bit disappointed hearing that. I got reassured pretty quickly from the Knights that it’s not the end of the world and there’s lots of chances at the Knights,” he said at the time.
“Missing metro I thought it [the combine] was a little bit out of reach at the time.
“It was a big boost to my confidence that I could prove people wrong and it was nice for me.
Philp, who is a Richmond supporter, said he had always wanted to play football
“Footy has always been the dream, I’ve always dreamt of playing at the MCG and having that as a career would be just awesome.”
Philp was the only Northern Knight or Calder Cannon taken in the first round of the draft. The rest of the rounds will be held on Thursday night.
MORE TO COME
