East Point and Rebels duo daring to dream ahead of AFL Draft

The pair kicked a combined 27 goals this NAB League season, with Fogaty part of the Rebels' three-headed monster up forward which included likely number one pick Aaron Cadman.

One week after lining up against Gary Ablett Jr in the Northern Territory, Greater Western Victoria Rebel Beau Tedcastle is shifting his attention to AFL Draft night, where the high-pressure forward is hoping to be one of a handful of Rebels drafted into the AFL.

The St Patrick's College boarder moved to Ballarat from the Northern Territory in 2021 and became a crucial part of the Rebels line-up this NAB League season.

"Moving down to Ballarat away from home definitely came with its stresses but it also came with some positives," Tedcastle said.

"It helped build a lot of resilience especially during the COVID years, and playing with the Rebels was always a highlight on the weekends. It was pretty unreal how close everyone became and how well we performed as a group."

Tedcastle kicked 19 goals across 11 games this NAB League season, including a season-high four-goal outing against the Swans in round four.

His NAB League form resulted in an Allies National Championships appearance as well as a Draft Combine invitation, but the crafty Rebel is taking it one step at a time ahead of the draft.

"I'm not really thinking too much about the draft, I'm just grateful for being able to get this far," Tedcastle said.

"I'm pretty proud of myself in being classified as a draft prospect and if it doesn't work out then there are plenty of other steps to take to get to the top level."

A former Rebel and St Patrick's College graduate turned three-time AFL premiership player Daniel Rioli has provided Tedcastle with a helping hand this season, as the young gun handles the attention that comes with being a draft prospect.

"I've sort of leant on Daniel Rioli over the past two years. Being able to hear from him and learn from him has been incredibly helpful for me," Tedcastle said.

"Having a player like him and Ben Long as well around me and getting their opinion on things helps settle the nerves a fair bit."

While Rioli and Long have helped Tedcastle remain calm ahead of the draft, his family and friends have opted for a different approach.

"I've got a wide indigenous family who are all pretty new to Facebook so anything they see that says 'Beau Tedcastle' they all jump straight onto it and tag me in it," Tedcastle said.

"But I try to stay away from the articles and not let it affect me too much."

Tedcastle's family will be hoping they can tag him in an AFL Draft post on Tuesday night.

He went from a role in the ruck to a position up forward and now Greater Western Victoria Rebel Felix Fogaty is hoping to go from the NAB League to the AFL on draft night.

The East Point junior caught the eyes of recruiters up forward with eight goals for the Rebels this season, but also proved he can be a force in the ruck with a 23-disposal, 15 hit-out performance against the Swans in round four.

"It was a really great time with the Rebels this season. We struggled a bit at the start but eventually came together and once we knew our roles and got to know each other better you could see it have an impact on the field with some really good wins," Fogaty said.

"The Rebels program is so different to some of the metro teams where players probably know all their teammates already through school whereas we come from all over the shop and don't really get a proper pre-season together. But once we got to know each other we were able to put together some strong performances."

The 200-centimetre utility was full of praise for Rebels head coach David Loader, who was instrumental in helping Fogaty reach his potential this season.

"Deeks (David Loader) is always so understanding of everyone's unique situation and his coaching is unreal," Fogaty said.

"He puts people in places that maybe they're not used to but he knows if they buy into it then they can really shine which helps recruiters notice you. He was a massive help for me this year."

AFL clubs have shown interest in the Ballarat Clarendon College student, who will be watching the draft from Ballarat on Monday and Tuesday night.

"I'm feeling good I'm just trying to stay optimistic and keep my fitness up which is really important," Fogaty said.

"It was good to finish school and now I've got a little bit of time before pre-season kicks off so it's good to just relax a little and refresh the mind."

Fogaty's calm approach ahead of the draft has been replicated within his family, who Fogaty said had been a big help.

"My family has been really supportive, I think they're just trying to keep an open mind," Fogaty said.

"They know that anything can happen, people can slip and people can jump up so we're just trying to enjoy the moment."

While making the AFL is the dream, Fogaty said he had plenty of options available for next year should his name not be called out in Monday and Tuesday night's draft or Wednesday night's rookie draft.