You might already know Christian Petracca. If you like football, like coffee and like to grab one inside the MCG then there's a very good chance you might have come across him. It's where one of the best players in this year's draft has spent much of his spare time on the weekends, whipping up flat whites, lattes and soy decafs for AFL crowds as his part-time job. "They only let me near the cash register at first," he said, "but I've worked my way up."

Petracca likes to keep busy, and having things to do. He started making coffees after a summer job at a fruit store, unloading trucks and shifting boxes, and has tied it in with the first year of a commerce course, loving being so close to the ground he would very much like to play on, one day soon. He is the same way when he plays: bubbly and busy, a bundle of endless energy with a smile always on his face. "I like always being involved, always having something to work on," he said. "I'm one of those kids who kind of likes surprises. It keeps me interested when I don't know what's coming next, I like it."

Christian Petracca wants to earn respect. Credit:Wayne Taylor

Most of the time, that is. What Petracca wanted most at the start of the year was to prove he could play as a midfielder. He's not sure anyone doubted he could, but having watched him kick goal after goal at the end of 2013, playing on the Eastern Ranges' half-forward line, he knew his coaches, the recruiters and a bunch of other people were curious to see whether he could improve his running and have as much impact playing on the ball.

He wanted to find out, too. So Petracca hired a running coach in January, trained as hard as he could and got fitter than he had ever been. He got to spend a week training at Hawthorn as part of his AFL Academy scholarship and spent his time there watching, listening and getting his head around exactly what he would have to keep up with once he made it to an AFL team of his own. He missed out on playing for Vic Metro in its first game of the national championships because it was his turn to be rotated out of the side, and "almost teared up, I was that upset. But when I look back on it, I was in the team every week after that. I think it worked out for the best."