Greater Western Sydney gave Carlton draftee Harrison Macreadie no indication about whether they would select the defender, despite having relocated him to Sydney at the start of 2016.
The Blues bid No.47 on Macreadie at the NAB AFL Draft last Friday and GWS opted not to match.
Macreadie played nine matches with the Giants' NEAFL side this year, including the winning grand final, with the club keeping a close eye on his progress.
From Henty, a country town located between Albury and Wagga Wagga, Macreadie was unperturbed by having to move once again.
"We had a few conversations but they (the Giants) gave me nothing. They kept their cards pretty close to their chest," Macreadie said.
"I thought it was a bit 50/50, but I'm very happy to be a Carlton football player."
He was similarly unaware of the Blues' level of interest.
"(There was) little talk with the Carlton Football Club, so I had no idea. It was a real shock," he said.
Macreadie made the All Australian team as a bottom-age player last year. Despite his 196cm frame, the key backman also offers run out of defence.
The chance to join Carlton, the club he had supported, meant he wanted to don the navy blue.
"I was very excited. I was hoping the Giants weren't going to match that bid but either way, I was going to be on an AFL list," he said.
"I was over the moon and so were my friends and family."
Fellow recruit Cameron Polson thought his football career was finished before it began after he required a shoulder reconstruction earlier in the year.
"When it happened, I thought my dream was over. I just kept training and doing my rehab and as it got closer to the draft, a few clubs started to get in contact so that gave me a little bit more confidence," Polson said.
"But at the start, I was pretty shattered."
The No.59 selection is fit and was not restricted by the joint in his first few days at the club.
Despite the limited year, Polson's form in school footy for Haileybury impressed.
Drafted from the Sandringham Dragons, the 177cm midfielder, who can also play forward, is dynamic, tackles well and is skillful.
