Isaiah Dudley's remarkable rise from state league footballer to the AFL finals has taken many onlookers by surprise, but those who worked closest with him always knew the Fremantle Docker could succeed at the highest level.
"For Isaiah it's never been about a lack of talent, he's got more talent in his football acumen than many, it was about just being physically ready for the challenge of AFL footy," said Paul Thomas, who coached Dudley at Central Districts in the SANFL.
"The value that we got out of him is exactly what you're seeing now in the Fremantle side."
Dudley was overlooked by all 18 clubs at the 2021 AFL draft.
That would have been enough for many footballers to give up their AFL dreams, especially when feedback from recruiters suggested his fitness and lifestyle were not up to scratch for professional football.
But for Dudley, it only served as motivation.
"They were the main two things, my lifestyle and my fitness, which kind of opened my eyes, realising that if I get them knuckled down, I can take my place anywhere," he said.
Dudley gives a lot of the credit to his former coach.
"That's the thing with Thommo, he built good habits into me, and now the habits are living out and I've been playing every game, and I've been loving it," he said.
"I also became a better person, maturing, and then obviously with Thommo he drove me to become a better person and player.
"Now I'm up the ground working, bringing my talent and getting the most out of myself."
Hard yards pay off
But it was far from an overnight process, with Centrals putting added focus on improving Dudley's conditioning.
"The club put a little 10-week program into Isaiah, like a personal training type thing in the middle of a season, which then really took his game in leaps and bounds the following season," Thomas said.
It paid dividends, with Dudley's 2024 SANFL season catching Fremantle's eye.
He was invited to train with the Dockers before being picked up in the supplemental selection period on the eve of the club's first 2025 pre-season game against the Indigenous All-Stars.
By round three of his first year, he had already made his debut in the cauldron of a Western Derby against West Coast, kicking two first-quarter goals in Fremantle's victory.
He played 16 games in his first year and has featured in all 24 of Fremantle's matches so far this season, kicking 28 goals.
As the Dockers look to bounce back against Geelong in a must-win semifinal at Perth Stadium on Friday night, he admits he is living a dream that he sometimes has to remind himself is real.
"I still pinch myself every day that I've gone from SANFL to now playing in an AFL finals series," Dudley said.
All while his former coaches and teammates watch on proudly from South Australia.
"I probably can't push enough just how much he makes us all smile still, when he does what he does on the footy field," Thomas said.
"He has the ability to light the crowd, he lights our locker room up as well.
"Seeing Perth Stadium come alight when he does something, and the commentators as well, isn't a surprise, but it certainly makes us all smile."
Dudley is hopeful his improbable story can encourage other footballers to overcome their setbacks and never give up on their dreams, and has a simple message for those who face disappointment in the draft.
"Lean into the coaches, the close network that you have, they're the people that are supporting you through the highs and lows."
