THE odometer reading in Bayley Fritsch’s work ute has been clocking up the kilometres in helping the Coldstream product chase his AFL dream.

Fritsch’s days start at 5am to get from his Yarra Valley home, making the hour-long trek across the city to get to work as an electrician in Epping in Melbourne’s north.

The 20-year-old then returns to Coldstream, collects his training gear and makes another hour-long trek down the Monash Freeway to Casey Demons’ training base in the southeast suburb of Cranbourne.

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“It is pretty full on but I guess if you want to try make a dream a reality you have to put in the hard yards,” Fritsch said.

media_camera Casey Demons forward Bayley Fritsch with his Fothergill-Round Medal. Picture: AFL Victoria

He doesn’t get home until 10pm but the hours behind the wheel to get from on the tools to kicking a Sherrin are paying off.

Fritsch continued to firm as a possible selection in this year’s AFL draft after taking home the VFL’s Fothergill-Round Medal on Monday night as the league’s most promising young talent.

The medal has a rich history in producing AFL talent — the past 10 winners, including Kane Lambert, Michael Barlow and All-Australian Michael Hibberd have gone on to play AFL football.

media_camera Bayley Fritsch takes a high-flying mark against Williamstown. Picture: Getty Images

Fritsch, who added some bulk to his 81kg, 183cm frame over summer, was overlooked for a spot on a TAC Cup list due to his size, but he has spent the past three seasons with Casey under Justin Plapp.

A back injury in 2015 and a knee setback last year halted his development but after a full pre-season, Fritsch showed what he was capable of in 2017 with 42 goals to finish runner-up in the Frosty Miller Medal as the VFL’s leading goalkicker.

“I guess it was good to get a clear run at it coming off the first two years, probably only playing five or six games per year,” Fritsch said.

“At the start of the season the sky was the limit but the position I am in now, if you had have told me that at the start of the year I probably would have told you to go away sort of thing.”

media_camera Bayley Fritsch in action for Eastern Football League Division 4 club Coldstream in 2014. Picture: Mark Dadswell media_camera Bayley’s father Scott Fritsch played 360 games for Coldstream.

If previous winners of the Fothergill-Round Medal is a guide, expect Fritsch to be on an AFL list by the end of the season.

“I guess it’s a bit of a cliche but it would be a dream come true,” he said.

“We’ll just keep trying to put my best foot forward and hopefully something happens.”