Dear Andrew,
You are in for one amazing journey over the next 15 years.
You will have every single strength and conditioning staff member try and use you as their pin up boy to try and ‘muscle up’.
They will then move on pretty quickly as they won’t see many gains. Don’t let this worry you. Back yourself and your ability.
Enjoy the times you get to socialise with people. A lot of life’s future lessons will be learnt when you are having a beer and a chat, where you will get to know people and what makes them tick and what qualities they possess.
You know when you used to watch the AFL Grand Final and wonder how good it would be to play in? It is everything you thought and more. And that feeling will become addictive. The Christmas morning runs will be worth the while.
Always respect people and listen to what they have to say. No matter who they are.
If you are a good person, you will find that people will want to help you achieve what you want to. You will need their time and their guidance and their honesty.
And at the end you will have forged mateship and for this you will be forever grateful for the opportunity to be at the Geelong Football Club for your entire footballing career.
Enjoy everything about it all, even the times which challenge you physically and mentally. There will be plenty.
But try to never let football define you as a person. Rather it be a layer of who you are.
P.s, maybe go straight home after your 21st