Caleb Mitchell didn't know he was drafted until just after everybody else

The 18-year-old was selected at No. 40 in the AFL Draft on Tuesday night.

"I was watching it at home with mum and dad, but there's a 30-second delay with the TV," he laughed.

"My phone started blowing up before the pic was in and I said to dad, 'this is me, I reckon', before I even knew, which is pretty cool."

The personable Mitchell was jokingly quizzed if he asked dad for a new TV.

"(Laughs) He thought I was playing games with him."

Although Mitchell can't be considered a bolter, given his standout 27-possession game for Victoria Country on a wing against South Australia in the National Championships in early July, he admits he was no chance 12 months ago.

"Last year I was underdone and not up to Draft standard as far as fitness," he confirmed.

"So I went full-on commando, I tried to do everything myself, I was following the Bushies (junior rep side Murray Bushrangers) running program, but thought to get the best out of myself, I had to do more.

"I did some pretty stupid things, like running after a footy and kicking it, chasing it around the oval like a dog, I did some weird things, but it certainly helped."

After playing his best game against Gippsland Power at the junior level with 31 touches and two goals, Mitchell won the state selection and as Vic Country forwards' coach and his Bushies' mentor Mark Brown said at the time, the youngster was improving every week.

He made his senior debut for Yarrawonga in the Ovens and Murray, impressing with his two-way running, and finished with five games, including three finals.

Mitchell's rapid rise continues a prodigious recruiting benchmark by the Pigeons in recent years,

In 2018, the club, quite remarkably, had three players drafted in Ely Smith (Brisbane, pick 21), James Jordon (Melbourne, 33) and Finn O'Dwyer (Carlton, 66).

"The YFNC is extremely proud of its development of junior players," the Pigeons said in a statement.

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"We are pumped for Caleb being selected by such a fine club and the achievement is something so many Pigeons, in particular the backbone of the club, its volunteers such as Pat Bye, Robert Lorey, Craig Frauenfelder and Scott Pendergast, should take pride in."

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