Every AFL player has a story that shaped their journey to the top level. 

Sometimes it can be an informal conversation, a passing comment or a surprise phone call that can put a player on the draft radar of any club in the competition. 

For Shaun Mannagh, it was an email reply 12 months in the making that proved to be his career-defining moment. 

Sitting in an airport halfway around the world in sun-soaked Santorini, the star forward saw Stephen Wells' name pop up in his inbox and it sparked the start of his journey to Kardinia Park. 

Reminiscing on his memories of a whirlwind few weeks, Mannagh talked Cats Media through the process that saw him land in the blue and white Hoops. 

"I was lucky enough to have a couple of clubs reach out, nothing too serious," Mannagh told Cats Media. 

"I remember I was on my honeymoon overseas, I went there the day after the VFL Grand Final so it was nice to escape after that loss. I got in contact with Essendon and they said that when I got back, we would do a testing day and that happened to be the day after I got back.

"We were sitting in an airport at Santorini and I got an email from Stephen Wells. It was actually a reply from my email 12 months earlier, where I reached out and said that I would love an opportunity as a train-on at the club. I knew Geelong had a list spot available for SSP, but I never heard back from him at the time.

"He replied to that email 12 months later and it was a nice email, saying that recruiters don't always get it right and these things happen, but they would love to catch up and just have a chat."

After a long flight home and a test with Essendon, Mannagh got the opportunity to chat with a couple of key Geelong figures a little further up the highway.

It proved to be a decisive moment on the road to achieving a long-term dream, with the Werribee star walking away from the conversation knowing he was headed to the AFL.

"It was pretty informal, but we got back and I met Andrew Mackie and Stephen Wells in Altona one day after work," Mannagh said. 

"At the start of the conversation it was pretty low-key, just chatting about the season I had and my wife Sarah, what we were doing and stuff like that.

"Then by the end of the chat, they were pretty keen to let me know that if there was an opportunity there at some stage in the draft, they were going to take me. It just depended on when it was and what it looked like, but that filled me with a bit of confidence and that was a nice drive home back to Mordialloc.

"I couldn't tell anyone because as everyone knows, nothing is guaranteed and that was a fair bit before the draft.

"Luckily enough come draft night, they took me with pick 36 which was a lot earlier than anyone would have thought."

Once the draft is completed, new players do not have to wait long before being introduced to their new clubs and teammates.

Mannagh said that in the space of a week, he had integrated into the club and commenced training, while also getting acquainted with certain players during an early training camp. 

"I think all our draftees met Shannon Byrnes here at the front of the club, there was four of us and then the West Australian boys came over the next day," Mannagh said. 

"We met in Geelong and went out for a nice little dinner with the recruiting team, and got to know each other as a little crew. The next day we came through the club and a few of the boys did some screening stuff, watched training and then we were off on the first to four years training camp.

"It all happened very quickly, but that was probably the best thing for us as draftees coming in. We were able to go away for a couple of days with the second and third year players, to get to know them and they got to know us. We talked about a lot of stuff and let them know a bit about our backgrounds, then from there we grew pretty close and ended up moving in together in Torquay.

"That set us up and we have been pretty close since, it all happened quickly that week. Then a week later we were into training with the main group, getting held back here and there because we were first year players but pre-Christmas was pretty cool."