ONE of the rarer AFL Draft stories going around is that of East Perth’s Reuben Ginbey, who in the space of two years, rose from a local footballer to a potential Top 10 AFL draftee. The West Australian won his state’s Most Valuable Player (MVP), made the All-Australian team, earned a National Draft Combine invite and drew interest from a multitude of clubs inside the Top 10.

Ginbey said he had enjoyed his rise to fame, going from a relatively unknown draft prospect to one of the most talked about talents in the AFL Draft crop.

“I think my rise into football is one that’s happened really quickly,” he said. “Just coming up from a coastal town three hours south of Perth two years ago. I think the transition up to PSA school Wesley was the catalyst for my development and then I wasn’t expecting too much coming into the year, just trying to play my best footy and then getting a call-up to the seniors training squad was really awesome. I didn’t expect too much but one of the goals of mine was to play a game throughout the year and for that to be Round 1 was really rewarding.”

Ginbey has taken all before him, sitting in front of a host of recruiters and answering tricky questions, to dominating the National Draft Combine. Boasting Top 10 finishing results in the standing vertical jump, 20m sprint and 2km time trial, Ginbey showcased his well-round athletic profile.

“At the start of the year, probably the powerful based events come more natural for me, the jump and the 20m sprint,” he said. The endurance is definitely something I’ve been working on over the preseason and over the past month when I haven’t been playing finals footy. To get a PB out here was awesome and I was really happy with it.”

On the field, Ginbey started as a defender at League level for the Royals, before rolling onball at Colts level, and for the Black Ducks at the 2022 AFL Under 18 Championships. That move was the catalyst for Ginbey to set up an award-winning year which included taking out his state’s MVP and All-Australian honours.

“I think versatility is one of my strengths, but I think I play my best footy as an inside mid, more of a modern mid,” Ginbey said of his preferred position. “Being a bit on the taller end for midfielders. Being in defence the last one and a half years has really helped me develop my game, but I definitely think that’s helped me when pushing into the midfield. I definitely love the contested ball and hopefully continuing to develop as a midfielder.”

The West Australian admitted both senior football and the elite level national carnival were challenging, but for different reasons. When running out for the Royals at League level in the WAFL, Ginbey said opponents were bigger and stronger, providing a more physical contest. For the Under 18s, the overall fitness of the opponents, as well as the speed of the game was higher.

Ginbey represented four different teams in 2022 between the Royals League and Colts sides, Wesley in the PSA and Western Australia, but his preparation remained the same. He credits having to adapt to the various coaches and teammates as a great learning curve.

“I had a bit of a different year, I ended up playing for four teams throughout the year,” Ginbey said. “I think i just tried to take every game as the same, just prepared normal if that was a school game, or a champs game or a League game. That helped me build some consistency through the different coaches and players.”

A Fremantle Dockers fan, Ginbey is aware his odds of landing in the purple are rare given their recent trade for Melbourne’s Luke Jackson, but the West Australian is not afraid of moving interstate, saying it would be an “awesome” experience to settle into a new environment, having move to Perth to board for his school as a small step in experiencing that move away from home.

“Seeing Luke Jackson coming to WA you have to give a leg for him, he’s a pretty awesome player so that’s cool, but the fact that just the percentages game, two out of 18 clubs are from WA, so I most likely will move over (interstate),” Ginbey said. “That’s not something that makes me nervous, that’s something that more excites me. Just to settle into a new environment and a new place is awesome, and if I’m playing footy I’m happy.”