BEN ROSS never expected to be given another chance at living his AFL dream, let alone playing for Hawthorn in a massive Friday night clash against Carlton at the MCG.
After two years out of the system between 2012-2013, he thought his AFL dream was over.
At the end of 2011, he was delisted by North Melbourne after playing just 14 games in four years and turned to VFL side Werribee after failing to be picked up in any of the drafts.
He won the J.J Liston trophy as the VFL’s best player the next year, in 2012, but even then, no AFL club came knocking.
Ross was a consistent utility for Werribee in 2013 and had another good season but he was two years out of the AFL system and thought he’d never get another chance.
So, he began studying a Commerce degree and got himself a job in the real world and played footy on the weekend.
He had begun life after footy.
But a day before last year’s rookie draft, when he was working full-time with a financial planning company called The Practice, Hawthorn asked him in for a medical.
“It was funny because I was literally only 15 days into working full-time with them and all of a sudden I had to speak to the boss and say ‘look, I’ve got an opportunity to go and meet with an AFL club, I’m going to have to take the day off work. Can I do that?’”, Ross told hawthornfc.com.au
“I was pretty nervous because I was only new on the block and I needed to skip work for a medical but they were great about it.”
But it was one thing to skip a day to have a medical, it’s another to tell your new employer you could no longer work full-time just a few weeks into the job.
That’s what Ross had to do after he was picked up by the Hawks in last year’s rookie draft – he and his The Practice colleagues following from their computers in the Carlton office.
“I tried to put it out of my mind because I thought something will probably go wrong and I won’t get picked up, I’ll just go back to work,” he recalled.
“I was working away but all the guys and girls had their laptops up following it, while I was sitting there trying to do work but couldn’t concentrate.
“They let me know pretty quickly when it happened.”
The next step was a meeting with his General Manager to tell her that despite the “hard work” she’d done in training him, he’d have to regretfully give up his full-time position.
“I had to let her know I was off to South Africa for training camp because I’d got a new job,” he remembered.
“I had to explain to her exactly what I was doing.
“She was just as excited for me as I was. They were more than happy for me to go and get settled in at Hawthorn.”
Ross’ path to the Hawks was a whirlwind and he can still, despite being now more than six months into his journey at his second AFL club, appreciates just how lucky he is.
“It felt like it was completely out of the blue to me,” he said.
“(But) I guess all you need is one person to like you and now I get my opportunity.
“I don’t think it’s actually quite sunk it yet – to get a second opportunity, it’s something I know not many people get.
“I’m very grateful to the football club and everyone involved here who have accepted me and given me the opportunity.”
The 25-year-old has worked hard to gain the respect of his new teammates and coaches ever since arriving because he knows just how fortunate he is.
His path to his debut for the Hawks has been one at which he’s worked even harder.
He had to wait to be upgraded to the primary list, unfortunately for teammate Jed Anderson, who won’t play again this year after having season-ending shoulder surgery.
But after making his AFL debut all the way back in 2008, his 2014 Hawthorn debut is just as, if not more rewarding for that hard work.
“I came from a fair way back when I first got here – all that work has paid off now,” he said.
“It’s just as exciting, probably even more exciting to be making my debut this time to be honest because I’m aware of what it takes. To get this second opportunity at such a great footy club, I’m just rapt.”
Ross will wear number 21, the number previously worn by captain Richie van den Berg, a favourite son at Hawthorn.
But he’d be happy to wear any number as long as it means he’s playing AFL footy.
“It’s a great honour to wear number 21 but it’s a great honour to wear any number, I’d wear number 100 if that’s what it took to get to run out with the guys,” he said.
“Hopefully I can take the opportunity and impress.”
Ross has continued his work at The Practice, working one day a week.
