Since tracking his progress as a TAC Cup prospect, contact between club and player cooled over the past couple of seasons.
That was until Thursday morning, however.
Newman’s name appeared on the screen at AFL House – and on the phone he was watching on with his girlfriend, Samantha - as the 35th pick in the 2015 Rookie Draft and the 21-year-old sealed his move north from Frankston to Sydney.
“I was over the moon, I couldn’t believe it really,” Newman told sydneyswans.com.au about his rookie selection at the Swans.
“I spoke to the club a couple of years ago when I was at the Dandenong Stingrays, but this year I hadn’t really spoken to them at all.
“I had a quick chat with a couple of the guys at the Draft Combine but it was nothing formal, so I hadn’t really heard anything until I saw a social media rumour about it, so it was a huge surprise.”
After catching the eye playing for Mornington in a Peninsula Football League Under-18 Grand Final in 2011, Newman played a season in the TAC Cup for the Stingrays as a top-aged player before progressing through to the Frankston Dolphins.
He arrived at the Dolphins a skilful half-forward/wingman, but was switched to defence and featured in three senior matches in 2013, before 2014 saw him play all 18 senior games, average 23 disposals and win the Fothergill-Round Medal as the league’s best young talent.
While it was unbeknownst to Newman, the Swans’ recruiting staff – and most other clubs as well – had been tracking his progress throughout his standout 2014 season.
“We were really surprised that Nic was still there at pick 35,” Swans Football Manager Tom Harley said yesterday.
“Our recruiting staff has kept an eye on him for a while and he is a beautiful kick.”
A natural-looking left-footed half-back, Newman had to work hard on his craft in that position, especially in his first season at the Dolphins where he learnt lessons playing on young AFL-talent in the VFL.
“This year was a bit of a breakout year,” Newman said.
“I moved to the backline in my first year at Frankston and played in the twos pretty much all year and just learned how to play down back.
“I had a pre-season of playing down back and got used to playing against senior players, and then this year it all just clicked and came together and things just went my way.
“The guys down at Frankston were awesome and just let me go about my game quietly and let me play the game I like to play and just gave me the opportunity, which I took with both hands.”
A look at Newman’s highlights (above) draws similarities to a premiership winning Swans half-back who has since departed to the Gold Coast.
With an attacking flair and possessing a nicely weighted pass, Newman now hopes he can develop further in the AFL system.
“I like to take the game on and use my skills off the half-back line,” he said.
“I think I’m versatile in that I can play on the talls and the smalls, and I like to attack and run off half-back.
“Joining an AFL club was always the ultimate goal, so to finally get there and to get an opportunity was the biggest thing for me.”
- with Tanya Paolucci
Nic Newman with the 2014 Fothergill-Round Medal at the Liston Trophy awards
