Pick 6 in the AFL Draft brings with it a lot of expectations, particularly when it is your club’s only opportunity until pick 40. Carlton chose to use its early pick in the 2008 AFL Draft on the talented small forward Chris Yarran, whose form last year with Swan Districts in the WAFL ensured that he was talked about as a top draft 3 prospect. With the club’s first NAB Cup match in sight, Mike and Dan spoke to the exciting youngster about his journey to becoming a Carlton player and his first impressions of the club.

Congratulations on being picked for the first NAB Cup game against North Melbourne on Friday night? What are your thoughts about the game?

I feel very honored and privileged to be in the team, I can’t quite explain it! Carlton has given me an opportunity and I really want to take that opportunity and perform well.

I found out yesterday that I would be in the team. Ratts pulled me aside and told me that I am playing. I’ll probably play around half forward or move up around the forward pocket.

How was playing as part of the All-star side? How do you think you went?

Again I was very honored to be in that side as part of the indigenous team. It was my first game as part of a team like that I just took it as it comes and I loved every minute of it.

It was awesome playing alongside Andrew McLeod and Peter Burgoyne and I just wanted to be part of it. I would love the chance to play in that team again.

Can you tell us what your first contact with the club was, and how you came to the club?

I didn’t actually have any idea until draft day and was as surprised as anyone else on November 29th! Just before the draft I knew as any other person on the street, as the clubs tend to play it quite tightly.

Wayne Hughes and Shane Rogers had come to my house in Perth a week before the draft but didn’t give too much away. On the day I didn’t quite know when my name was going to be called out, then Carlton was the club and off I went!

Armfield, Ellard and Gartlett have also been recruited from Swan Districts, making four of you on the list. Did you know them before the Blues picked them up?

I played with David Ellard and Jeffrey Garlett two years ago in a Colts Grand Final so I knew them previously, but I was playing Colts when Armfield was playing seniors so I never played alongside him. I get along well with him now though that we are teammates as we came from the same club.

What are your expectations for your first year in football? Do you expect to play much senior football or will you spend some time with the Bullants?

I just want to get respect from the boys and would love to do that in the seniors, but I will take it as it happens. Everyone wants to play in the ones but we can’t all fit in, but I hope to get some time in the seniors.

The coach indicated that first year players would work on a modified training program to ensure they don't get fatigued. What is your program like, and what is the major emphasis?

Myself and most of the new boys are only doing about 70 percent of the training, so I am not doing the same as Fev or Chris Judd. It has been tough so far, but I want to get fitter so that I can get as much time on the field as I can. I am still young, so hopefully I have a good base to improve my fitness and get more game time.

I am mainly working with Matty Lappin during training as he is our forward line coach. He is like a second coach to me. I am also doing a bit of work on my strength, but fitness is my priority as I want to get it up to another level.

As soon as I got to the club, I saw players like Juddy really pushing through the cones on the track and pushing through the next level. I want to learn and follow in the footsteps of players like that.

Are you surprised by how voracious the Victorian footy public is with their football? Is it different to being in a two team town in WA?

There are so many clubs in Melbourne, and only two in Perth as you would know. I reckon it is pretty good here having so many teams in the one state, and there is a lot more media than in Western Australia.

The Carlton supporters are great, and we couldn’t get better support! The Family Day was pretty busy and I was really surprised at the turnout. I had a few photos taken with some of the kids, which was funny as a few years ago I was just like that.

The round one game at the MCG against Richmond will be a huge crowd. What is the biggest crowd you've played in front of?

The biggest crowd would have been around 25,000 in last year’s WAFL Grand Final. I really do hope to make the team for round one but I can’t really say at this stage. I would need to really earn my spot, get support from coaches to be picked in the side.


Do you expect to play as a small forward most of the time, or has the coach got different plans for you? Has Fev taken you aside and instructed you which parts of the forward 50 he's willing to share?

The position I’ll play this year will probably be half forward but maybe in a few years I would love to spend some time in the midfield. To do that I need to raise my fitness to another level and maintain that to be able to play on the ball.

Fev hasn’t pulled me aside yet! I’m just a young fellow so he is probably not worried about it yet. So much of the ball goes to him in every game, so I will just trying to give the team some more options up there and score a few goals.

As a new young player, do you have settled living arrangements?

I am staying with Mum who moved over to Melbourne with me.

You visited South Africa in 2007 on a football tour. Can you tell us about that experience and what you gained from it?

I went with Australian Institute of Sport and it was a really good experience to see how other people live, and also to represent my country and pull on the jumper. If I could go back I would as it was the best time of my life!

You moved around a bit as a youngster. Which junior club in WA do you identify with most?

It is definitely the Midvale Junior Football Club. There aren’t really any major attractions in Midvale but the footy club is great. In Midvale, two other boys from my same street in Nick Naitanui and Michael Walters were also picked up in the draft which was fantastic to see.

Do you know much about the history of the number 13? Can you tell us who has played 100 games in it? (Gardiner, Hale, Donaldson, Hanna).

Another WA boy, Luke Blackwell, wore it before me and a few guys have said that he was a good player. I know that Mil Hanna was last to reach 100 games in the number. Thirteen is my favorite number so I stuck my hand up for it.

The coach is big on players working or studying outside of training and playing commitments. What do you do outside of the club?

I am doing AFLPA Apprenticeship at the moment, and when I finish that I will decide what to do next. In the AFLPA Apprenticeship we are looking at things like building a culture around the club and how we want to be represented, which should lead to better and exciting time in the club.

I haven’t done any media training yet as I am still only a young fellow, but in the later part of year will be doing some of that and getting some other life skills too.


Apart from occasional cameos from Betts and Fisher, Carlton’s forward line has lacked consistency and relied on gun forward Brendan Fevola to kick a match winning score each week. If Chris Yarran can deliver on his undoubted promise and talent, Carlton looks much more potent in attack and increases its goal scoring options. Yarran will be looking to make an impact in the NAB Cup to secure a starting berth for the Round 1 blockbuster against Richmond at the MCG, where he can parade his silky skills in front of what is expected to be a capacity crowd for the season opener.