Exclusion from the Murray Bushrangers turned out to be the best thing for new draftee Sam Murray.

The 18-year-old missed out on playing in the 2015 TAC Cup competition, usually an important piece in the puzzle for a majority of prospective recruits on the road to the National Draft.

It was a setback but, as it turned out, not the be all and end all.

Murray found himself selected with Pick 66 in the Rookie Draft, joining Tom Papley and Kyle Galloway as the final three players to join the Swans.

A breakout season for the Wodonga Raiders in Victoria’s Ovens and Murray Football League threw the 188cm on-baller into the spotlight again.

“When I was cut, I thought maybe nothing was going to come of my football after that,” Murray said.

“I probably got a bit down on myself at first, but then I thought if I’m playing good football I’m going to get noticed no matter where I’m playing.

“There are enough recruiters out there, enough eyes out there so I went about it with an ‘I’m going to prove you wrong’ type of attitude.

“I just never gave up I guess.”

And it paid dividends with Murray, under senior coach and former Swans defender Daryn Cresswell, going on to finish second in the Raiders’ best and fairest count and second in the OMFL’s equivalent.

“It was an exciting season to play under someone so highly regarded,” Murray added.

An explosive wingman with an excellent left-foot, Murray is aiming to put his best foot forward over the course of his first AFL pre-season in the hope of making a strong case in 2016.

“I just want to get myself to the best physical and mental condition as I can,” he said of the road ahead.

“There’s a long way to go before the start of the season I just want to be fit, ready and play some good footy.”

Murray grew up in Ganmain, the same town as the Swans’ Team of the Century centre half-back Dennis Carroll, before playing his junior football with Henty in southern NSW.