THE pain of missing out on selection in last year’s National Draft served as a motivator for Eli Templeton once the Saints picked him up a week later.

The Tasmanian small forward from the Burnie Dockers was understandably shattered when his name wasn’t read out at the draft, but he never lost belief in himself or his talents.

“I was pretty gutted but also knew I had the ability to get picked up in the rookie draft,” he told SAINTS.com.au on Tuesday afternoon.

“Once my name got called out I was buzzing. I just couldn’t wait to get over to Colorado with the boys and get stuck into it. I think it has made me more determined now to really give it a crack and give it 100 per cent.”

And that’s exactly what the 18-year-old has done this summer. He’s impressed at every opportunity, highlighted by his two-goal debut in the NAB Challenge against the Bulldogs.

“I just thought it (the Bulldogs game) would hold me in good stead and then I backed that up with a couple more good games which was good. I wouldn’t expect to see those goals every week, especially at Etihad with the roof closed. It was a good feeling that’s for sure.”
Templeton has approached every challenge head on this pre-season, and although the workload has been testing, the fact he has got through unscathed fills him with a great sense of satisfaction.

“It’s been challenging at times,” he said. “But once you get it done and you get off the track, you feel as if you’ve accomplished something.”

“It was a different experience coming from Tassie and going to Colorado training in minus 14 degree weather. [But] I’ve loved every minute of it.”

Lewis Pierce was the unlucky Saint to make way for Templeton, with the ruckman moved to the long-term injury list with due to a back complaint. While Templeton knew he was in the mix to be elevated following Pierce’s injury, he never got ahead of himself given the quality of his competitors.

“I had an inkling [I was close],” he admitted. “There were four or five other rookies that probably deserved a spot as well so it was up in the air. I knew one was going to get upgraded and I was the lucky one.”

“I was just out after training [this morning] kicking a couple of goals and then Richo came up to me and just said I’ve been upgraded. It was a pretty unbelievable feeling – certainly one that I won’t forget in a short time.”

You can follow Tom Morris on Twitter: @tommorris32