IT didn’t take long for students at Carey Grammar and Templestowe Valley Primary School to twig recently that their relief teacher was moonlighting as an AFL footballer.

And as any footy mad kid would do upon discovering that fact, interest in English and Maths quickly took a backseat to what it’s like to play in the same team as Buddy Franklin and Luke Hodge.

Jarrod Kayler-Thomson just laughs and tries to get his students back focussed on their text books.

“You try to steer away from it a bit. They’re pretty clever kids and work it out pretty quick. But the kids go off the track if you talk footy for a fair while so you’ve got to try to steer off the subject,” Kayler-Thomson said.

The 24-year-old arrived at Hawthorn from Perth through the rookie draft last year, leaving behind him a career as a teacher in the Western Australian school system.

But he has kept his teaching career going, alternating between Carey and Templestowe as a relief teacher on his day off from training, while also offering his services as a coach for Scotch College on Tuesday and Thursdays.

Kayler-Thomson knows better than most AFL players that it is important to have a career planned for life outside football.

“As a mature-aged rookie you experience part of what life is about without footy. So you get the opportunity to become a full-time footballer and you realise this is a pretty good life - you don't want to give it up,” he said.

“I think the first-year draftees might take it for granted a bit and go with the flow for a year or two.”

Kayler-Thomson has openly admitted he thought his dream of being an AFL footballer was over and was happy to ply his trade in the WAFL until Hawthorn came knocking last year.

Knowing that a rookie list spot meant he was well down on the pecking order, Kayler-Thomson impressed his new club so much over summer that he was rewarded with a round-one debut which he said was one of the highlights of his life.

“There was a lot going through my head. It was a really satisfying feeling to hear the call from Clarko and I called my mum and dad straight away and a couple of good mates,” he said.

“It was a pretty cool feeling to know it had all been worth it and I got that start.”

The trend to drafting mature-aged players has been noticeable this season with Gold Coast and Greater West Sydney to recruit the country’s best teenagers over the coming years. Kayler-Thomson says the recruiting philosophy should last well beyond the introduction of the AFL’s two newest teams.

“I think a lot of clubs are focussing on picking mature-aged players who are ready made but I think it can definitely last beyond the introduction of Gold Coast and West Sydney,” he said.

“There have been players like Greg Broughton and Michael Barlow coming in this year who have shown they can have an immediate impact and be good solid players straight away. I think they would be silly not to look at other mature-aged players.”

Kayler-Thomson, who is living with teammate Campbell Brown in Hawthorn , is still getting used to life as a full-time footballer, which he said was a lot more demanding than some people believe.

“It has been pretty full-on. It frustrates me when people assume that you train for a couple of hours a day and just sit in a cafe for the rest of the time. It is definitely not the case. Most of the boys will study if they have a couple of hours free,” he said.

With increased professionalism has come sacrifice, which the wordly rookie has quickly come to understand.

“Whenever you’ve got a night off, maybe in the WAFL you’d catch up for a few mates and go out for dinner. I’ve found with the transition so far I’d rather take it easy and have a quiet night," he said.