CHRISTMAS does not come much better than achieving your dream, and that was exactly the case for new Adelaide Crows draftee Brooke Boileau. The top-age inside midfielder admitted being selected by the Crows in the second round was the “best ever” Christmas gift, with the South Adelaide talent now joining the likes of idol Anne Hatchard at the club.

Though admittedly Boileau had more expectation than most – heavily linked with the Crows prior to the draft who were able to get the midfield to nominate for the state pool – the Panthers onballer admitted it did not feel real until her name was read out on the night.

“It still doesn’t feel real,” she said. Obviously I [was] expecting [it] a little bit, but you just never know and I’m just so excited.

“We got a few of us South girls to the club and we just set a little thing upstairs and had some family and friends there and like I said before I was expecting it a little bit but to actually hear my name was so surreal.”

Boileau was drafted alongside Panthers teammates Alissa Brook (Port Adelaide) and Holly Ifould (Fremantle) to make it a successful night at Noarlunga. Perhaps the best moment for Boileau was when Hatchard among a host of AFLW Crows walked in to present her with her jumper.

“Just seeing them I just broke down in tears,” Boileau said. “That’s how you know the moment’s real.

“It’s crazy because I originally haven’t watched too much footy. I haven’t even been playing footy for four, five years myself so I only really got stuck into it last year and then watching it all grow is so nice and now that I can be a part of the team is absolutely insane.”

A former soccer player, Boileau is relatively new to football, having taking up the Aussie rules version in the last five years, but only really focused on reaching the top level. in the past couple of seasons. Now the teenager is able to follow in the footsteps of the player she has most wanted to emulate.

“I’ve said for so long that Hatchy is my actual idol and I’d love to play like her and I just love the way she goes about her footy,” she said.

Boileau capped off a super haul for the South Australian Under 18s team, with the three South Adelaide players joining Glenelg’s Piper Window, Central District’s Elaine Grigg, West Adelaide’s Lauren Young, Woodville-West Torrens’ Shineah Goody and Norwood’s Molly Brooksby on AFLW lists.