SINCE zooming on to Brisbane's radar two years ago, it's been a whirlwind ride for Ty Gallop.

In 2023 the teenage forward was playing Colts for Maroochydore, on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, when the Lions invited him into their Academy

Since then, Gallop has met every challenge at every level with a "will like no-one else".

Whether it was QAFL colts or seniors, national under-18 championships, the VFL or an AFL semi-final against Gold Coast, the 19-year-old has shown he is made of the right stuff.

But as Brisbane Academy head coach Mitch Hahn told AFL.com.au ahead of Saturday's preliminary final against Collingwood at the MCG, it could so easily have been a different journey for the polite 19-year-old.

"He wasn't loving the game," Hahn said.

"He came to the Academy and said he needed to get back to enjoying footy, so he went back to Maroochydore and played Colts.

"He has a close connection with a lot of his mates there and they went on and won the Grand Final.

"He came back in his 18th year (2024) and committed 100 per cent. He fell back in love with the game and was ready. He was a different animal that flicked the switch."

Gallop didn't just help the Roos win that Colts premiership, he was best on ground in the decider with four goals.

It started a trend over the next 12 months that showed the tougher the challenge, the better he played.

After getting just one touch in his first game for the Allies at last year's national under-18 championships, Gallop bounced back with a vengeance.

In a narrow loss to powerful Vic Country in the final round, he kicked three goals to put his name on the draft radar.

"That was like 'here we go'," Hahn said. "It was like he said 'This is what I can do'.

"He had the talent and once he matched that with commitment and intensity, there was no stopping him."

Gallop went back to Maroochydore to play in its senior QAFL team under coach Steve Wildschut.

In just eight games, he would win the League's Rookie of the Year award, finishing his campaign with an eight-goal bag against eventual premier Morningside.

"Recruiters look for wing span, pace, agility and things like that, but he just finds a way to involve himself in games," Wildschut said.

"His contested marking is a feature, but his hunt and willingness to chase is second to none. He has a will like no-one else.

"Ty just finds a way to get a hand on someone, get a tackle in when others don't. His ability to stay in the contest and will his way to being good at the level is just so impressive."

Gallop finished the QAFL season with 30 goals, 18 of which came in the final three games.

He returned to the Lions and was named in their VFL preliminary final team to take on Werribee.

On a wet and windy afternoon, his nine disposals, five tackles and a goal might not have leapt off the page, but anyone that saw the performance walked away thinking the 194cm forward could compete at the highest level.

"Sometimes big guys, can shift their mindset to think it's not their day in conditions like those," Hahn said.

"He decided when the ball hit the ground he was going to be a beast and savage with his pressure.

"We'd seen it at Academy level, we'd seen those 60 to 70 metre chases and he'd get a hand on the player and force a turnover.

"He realised if he did the hard work he'd get rewarded at some point."

Just over 12 months have passed since that game, during which time Gallop was taken at pick No.42 by the Lions, matching Geelong's bid on him, and he's now played four games at senior level.

Unselfish to a fault early in his career, Gallop had his first little breakthrough against the Suns, taking a contested mark against Sam Collins for his first career goal and finishing with 12 disposals and seven marks.

Although only so much can be expected of a teenager so early in his career in front of the Magpie Army, Hahn believes he can make an impact well beyond Saturday's preliminary final.

"He's a ripping kid, very polite and well mannered, very cool and calm under pressure," he said. 

"When you meet him, you think he's a placid, gentle giant, but when he crosses that line he puts on a different front and turns into that beast."