ARRYN Siposs remembers the feeling of panic as the 2010 NAB AFL Draft wore on.

Siposs, who had just come off a solid season for the Dandenong Stingrays in the NAB Cup, was considered a good chance to become an AFL player.

With 34 goals for the Stingrays after kicking 99 for Beaconsfield in the Mornington Peninsula Football League, Siposs fit the bill for clubs who were looking for a third tall forward option.

After an encouraging lead-in to the draft in which he had spoken to 12 of the 17 clubs, Siposs’ manager told the enthusiastic 17-year-old that he was likely to be picked between selections 40 and 60.

To celebrate the introduction of Gold Coast as an AFL club, the draft was held at the Gold Coast convention and exhibition centre. Siposs and his family gathered at the family home of his Stingrays teammate Alex Benbow to nervously watch on.

Two years on, Siposs recalls that the butterflies started to kick in towards the end of the second round.

“It got to pick 40 and I started to really concentrate and zero in,” Siposs told saints.com.au.

“It got to 60 and I hadn’t been picked yet so I got a bit worried at the time.”

The life-long St Kilda fan knew his favourite club had another pick coming up in the mid-70s but by that point he was desperate to hear anyone call his name. Adding to the nerves was the fact the Saints had to call extra time to discuss the selection.

“It ticked over to 70 and I started to worry a bit. It got to 75 and St Kilda had the pick. I didn’t know what was going to happen and I started to think my chances looked over then St Kilda called extra time for a couple of minutes and they called out my name,” he said.

“It was all pretty amazing and a really special time. Dad jumped off the couch like there was no tomorrow and it was a great moment that I’ll never forget.”

The Saints had kept their cards pretty close to their chest in the lead-up to the draft and Siposs had no inkling that they were particularly interested in him.

“I had a chat to them at the draft camp and my manager gave me an indication they probably weren’t looking at me for the first three rounds but maybe the fourth if I go through. I didn’t expect too much but I’m very happy to be part of this proud club now,” he said.

“I had a few chats to a lot of clubs and I spoke to Collingwood three or four times. I thought they’d be the ones who maybe were looking at me. I spoke to North Melbourne a couple of times as well but I didn’t really know.”

If the anticipation of being drafted wasn’t overwhelming enough, the flurry of well wishes that followed added to what was one of the most surreal nights of Siposs’ life.

“I had seven or eight missed calls and about 15 or 16 messages from people congratulating me. It went nuts in that first 10 minutes,” he said.

“I had Stephen Milne call me that night to congratulate me and welcome me to the club. It was a bit weird to answer the phone and hear on the other end “G’day it’s Stephen Milne here.” It was so weird at the time but I remember thinking it’s kind of awesome as well.”

Siposs’ first day as a Saint came on the Monday after the draft and he remembers the strange feeling of meeting his new teammates, who he had been cheering on as a fan only two months earlier.

“I got drafted on the Thursday night and I was in at the club on the Monday. Everyone was coming back from pre-season. I got all my gear in the morning for an early start and seeing all the players who I had barracked for was a bit daunting. It was all a new experience for me but something I’ll always remember,” he said.

And his advice to this year’s batch of draftees is to simply worry about what they can control.

“Leading up to it you’ve got to relax and not put too much pressure on yourself. That is probably my main advice,” he said.

“Afterwards, you’ve just got to have a red hot crack and show everybody you’re prepared to work hard and give yourself an opportunity to play round one.”