Justin Koschitzke still remembers John Beveridge pulling up to the Koschitzke family farm unannounced the week before the 2000 National Draft.
A brisk handshake, a handover of a Saints guernsey and a simple commitment from the late recruiting pioneer would change the life of the spry Koschitzke: “we’re going to take you at the draft next week… don’t tell anyone”.
In five minutes, Beveridge had already hit the road for the four-hour drive back home. Koschitzke’s nerves of being selected had been suddenly abated, and instead — humorously in retrospect but frustratingly at the time — he had to keep the news a secret.
Going to school that next week having to keep his lips sealed was like torture for the then-18-year-old who would soon be taken with pick No. 2 at the 2000 National Draft behind Nick Riewoldt.
For new Saint Tobie Travaglia, his experience was the complete opposite. Even in the final moments before he was selected by St Kilda with pick No. 8 at last night’s 2024 Telstra AFL Draft, the 18-year-old from Bendigo Pioneers had no definitive answer as to where he’d potentially end up.
Several clubs had interviewed the hard-running half-back, he’d been predicted to land in red, white and black by several key pundits. However as is the case for a great many draftees, nothing was certain.
“When I was walking in, (I was) thinking ‘alright what’s it going to be?’, ‘what’s going to happen?’. You sort of get inklings and understand a little bit, but you still just don’t really know,” Travaglia told saints.com.au on draft night.
“That’s probably the best part about its not knowing, it’s the reason why you get so nervous! But when I saw the cameras on me Tommy my manager was on the phone, so I knew it was about to happen.
“I couldn’t ask for a better club, it’s unreal.”
St Kilda’s club’s first top-10 selection since Mattaes Phillipou in 2022, the highly desirable Travaglia boasts exceptional athleticism as a hard-running, intercepting defender who also has the attributes to impact offensively on-ball in the long-term.
Averaging 24 disposals from his 12 matches for Bendigo Pioneers in 2024, Travaglia earned selection in the Coates Talent League Team of the Year before later receiving All-Australian honours off the back of his impressive run throughout this season’s National Championships.
“We’ve got hopes he can play a range of roles for us, including midfield. He’s got great running capacity and is just a really good all-round player,” EGM Football David Misson said after Travaglia’s recruitment.
“All of his parameters, both football and physical, fit into our system so we just needed to tick off background and character, which he absolutely did.
“He runs hard and runs long and we were really impressed with that, so I’m looking forward to seeing it.”
For Travaglia and fellow draftee Alix Tauru, it hasn’t even been 24 hours since the trajectory of their careers took an exciting, pulsating turn for the better.
It is, however just the start. As Koschitzke said in the minutes before Travaglia’s name was read aloud by AFL CEO Andrew Dillon, being drafted is just the first step. The hard work hasn’t started yet.
“They don’t know it yet,” Koschitzke said. “Their lives are about to change forever”.
