The AFL Draft has the ability to change an individual's life in an instant.
It is the moment that years of hard work culminates in a dream being realised, with each new player getting the opportunity to pursue a career at the elite level of Australia's greatest game.
Among all the incredible storylines to come from the 2025 Draft, there may not have been a better one than Geelong's new Category B Rookie, Jesse Mellor.
When Mellor was informed that he was going to become a Geelong footballer, he was still working his day job as a primary school teacher.
But it provided him a special moment as he got to celebrate with the school, while also getting the chance to say farewell before embarking on his AFL journey.
"They had their assembly at 2.30pm on the Friday," Mellor said.
"I called the principal and said yes, it's happened. He asked if I could come to the assembly and I said yes, so I went down and it was pretty funny.
"I put a jacket over my Cats gear, I went up and said that I have some bad news. I said I am not going to be at St Patrick's anymore, but I am going to be at the Cats and I took my stuff off and put my Cats hat on.
"It was pretty special and the kids were pretty up and about, it was good to say farewell to them because they have been a huge part of the journey."
Part of Geelong's Next Generation Academy for a number of years, Mellor became a Cat after slipping through the National Draft, which allowed Geelong to add him as a Category B Rookie for 2026.
Described as an exciting prospect who can play both forward and through the midfield, the 18-year-old showed plenty of his potential while representing Vic Country in 2025, while also impressing for the Cats VFL team throughout the season.
His second VFL appearance particularly stood out, collecting 17 disposals and kicking two goals against Essendon in Round 20.
Mellor possesses a number of exciting traits that Cats fans will get to see in 2026, including a strong pair of hands and overhead marking ability, making him a consistent threat around goal.
A strong block of form and impressive development put him firmly on Geelong's radar heading into the draft, a dream that would be realised following the National Draft on the Thursday night.
It created another emotional moment with his closest mates, who came to celebrate the special occasion with Mellor and his family.
"I was obviously waiting around on Thursday night to see if I was going to get selected," Mellor said.
"'Wellsy,' Ross [Hill], Simon Murphy and Tom Lonergan came around to my house about a week before, and said if I slipped through that they were going to take me in the Rookie Draft. I was pretty disappointed for about five minutes after the National Draft, then they called me up and I was pumped.
"I don't know if you saw the video but my mates were a couple of streets over, I told them I was unlikely for the National. I called up 'Murph' and I said there hasn't been an announcement, can the boys come over and celebrate?
"So all the Cats recruiters were over and all the boys came flying through, cause they were pretty up and about. It was a good night and I couldn't be more grateful."
