Allen Christensen in action for Vic Country in the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships
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ALLEN Christensen spent six weeks as one of Australian football's biggest losers, but emerged one of its biggest winners in Thursday night's NAB AFL Draft.
The 18-year-old midfielder was selected by Geelong at pick No.40, but for a while it didn't look as though any club would take a punt on him.
It was six weeks ago at draft camp in Canberra that Christensen, who weighed in at 77kg to go with his 176cm, admitted he got the boot up the backside he needed.
"My skinfolds were the highest [of anyone] at draft camp," he told geelongcats.com.au.
"So I got a bit of a stern talking to by a few clubs who were pretty perturbed by my skinfolds, and so I just came back, worked really hard and changed my diet.
"Now I'm down to 71, and my skinfolds are under the draft camp average.
"I got to 70, but I've been hitting the weights again."
The Geelong local watched the draft at home with family and friends and admitted that nerves had got the better of him during the telecast.
"I couldn't stand watching it scroll across the bottom of the screen, so I went outside and put the radio on," he said.
"I was getting a bit edgy, so I just went and listened to it on the radio and I heard my name called.
"Since then, Cameron Ling has given me a call - because I'm a Joey's (St Joseph's) boy as well - and I've heard from Mat Stokes and James Kelly and a couple of the recruiters.
"I want to work really hard so I can learn off the best midfielders in the competition."
Christensen represented Geelong Falcons in the TAC Cup competition this year with that club's regional manager Michael Turner deeming him an "outstanding player".
Christensen's uncles, Marty and Damien, both represented Geelong in the VFL while his mother, Helen, is a first cousin of Essendon great Michael Long.
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