By Callum Ludwig
Wandin Football Club’s new star export Flynn Kroeger has made the switch from The Kennel to The Cattery after being taken at pick 48 by the Geelong Cats in the 2021 NAB AFL draft.
Kroeger couldn’t believe his eyes on draft night when his name was read out and displayed on the TV while he watched on from home.
“I didn’t actually recognise my name. I saw it come up and my whole body just went blank, I didn’t really think it was true,” he said.
“Then all my mates started jumping on me and I actually started crying because my dreams had come true.”
Kroeger’s draft night was almost a nervy, longer wait. Geelong had their selection of Marcus Windhager matched by St Kilda at pick 47, before using their next selection to pick Flynny, as he’s known by his friends.
Kroeger started his football career at Wandin and remained there all the way from U’9s until 2021, growing up just down the highway on Linwood Road in Seville.
Kroeger said his fondest memories of the Wandin footy club will always be the tight-knit feel of the club and the town, which he feels is reflected in his new home in Geelong.
“It’s the community life and how much you enjoyed playing with all your mates all the time,” he said.
“Geelong is my sort of club, it still has a relaxed country vibe.”
He said he will miss kicking long bombs on the small Wandin ground compared to those at the elite level.
“I can’t even make the kick from the 50 metre line, unlike the Wandin ground where I could kick the length from the centre square!” Kroeger said.
Arriving in Geelong, Kroeger felt immediately welcomed and comfortable adjusting to his new home, a sentiment he said was shared by the other Geelong draftees too.
“The boys made us feel welcome straight away. After the first week, I didn’t really feel like the newbie anymore,” he said.
“That was a very big thing the Cats did and all the first-year boys feel like the same.”
He will wear number 25 for the Cats.
Kroeger said getting phone calls from the senior players at the club was pretty surreal, and even left him a bit speechless.
“The first phone call was Joel Selwood and the next one was Paddy Dangerfield,” he said.
“It didn’t really sink in. Even though I was trying to talk to them, I don’t think I was communicating very well!”
It could be considered quite fitting the duo got in touch with Kroeger, who was brought in to bolster Geelong’s midfield stocks as a part of the next generation of powerful midfielders to learn from senior Cats like Selwood and Dangerfield as well as Mitch Duncan and Cameron Guthrie.
Unfortunately, Kroeger is battling injury at the moment, delaying his preseason, but he said what he has experienced so far has been intense. He also praised the physio team who are working hard on his recovery.
“It’s pretty brutal. Covid as well hasn’t really helped preseason, but it’s definitely harder than you’d expect it to be,” he said.
“It helps we have the best physios down there, I can’t complain about them.”
After an interrupted last couple of seasons due to Covid and injury, Kroeger is mainly looking forward to getting out there this season.
“Definitely hoping to get more than just four games in this year,” he said.
“It seems like I haven’t played footy in forever. I’m just missing actually playing the game.”
Geelong’s profile on Kroeger describes him as an explosive midfielder and half back, with a strong overhead mark and neat disposal.
Kroeger plans to absorb as much information as he can from being around the club and in the AFL system.
“There are so many more calls to get used to in the midfield, where they want me,” he said.
“It’s all to learn and adapt. That’s how you get through and start playing AFL games regularly.”
Hopefully, one day we will see Cats fans across the Yarra Valley donning Kroeger’s number 25.
