Having been picked up in the Rookie Draft nine years after his first nomination, perseverance is a word new Hawk David Mirra is all too familiar with.
His story is a special one; the backman stuck with his craft, rose through the ranks at VFL level to become Box Hill’s captain, led the side to three grand finals during his four-year tenure, and finally earned his place on an AFL list just three and a half months ago.
However, he’s not the first AFL hopeful to have felt the anguish of missing out on draft night, and he certainly won’t be the last.
Speaking to fans via Hawthorn’s Facebook page on Friday morning, Mirra provided some sound words of advice to those youngsters in a similar position to his 18 to 26 year-old self.
“It’s never too late to be picked up, I’m [turning] 27 this year,” he said.
“Just go back and play a good standard of footy.
“Test yourself against the good players and keep performing consistently week in, week out.
“Work on your deficiencies and [the things] that held you back from being drafted.
“Just put your best foot forward.”
Mirra also highlighted the need for young players to find balance in their life, to keep the aspiration for an AFL career from becoming an obsession.
“Focus on something outside of footy, whether it’s uni or work.
“It’s really important to keep your mind of it.”
The former Box Hill Captain has been named for Hawthorn’s JLT clash against Western Bulldogs on Saturday, his first ‘long format’ hit out for the club (having played part in AFLX).
“I’m fortunate enough to be in the squad and will be having a bit of a run around tomorrow,” Mirra said.
“It should be good, I’m looking forward to it. I had a taste of AFLX but now the real stuff starts.
“I’ll hopefully get some minutes tomorrow, and hopefully the boys go alright and get a win to start the campaign.”
The match will kick off at 2.05pm in Mars Stadium, Ballarat.
To purchase tickets, click here.
See Mirra's full Q+A below.
