HAVING waited 838 days from draft night to his AFL debut in Opening Round, Phoenix Gothard's round six Telstra AFL Rising Star nomination serves as a fitting reward for his persistence.

On Monday morning, Gothard's phone buzzed with a call from Greater Western Sydney teammate Stephen Coniglio. 

Hanging washing on the clothesline, Gothard missed the initial ring, but a sense of intuition immediately kicked in. "This is weird," he thought. "This has got to be something."

He quickly called back, only for Coniglio to deliver the news: he was the round six Rising Star nominee.

The nomination follows a standout performance in Friday night's Sydney Derby, where the small forward recorded 20 disposals, seven tackles, and two goals – numbers that prove he is rapidly becoming a vital cog in the Giants' forward line.

While appreciative of the nod, Gothard's focus remains on the Giants' bigger picture.

"It's great individual recognition, but the most enjoyable part about playing footy is winning, which we haven't been able to do recently. So, hopefully we can do that going forward," he said.

Now a mainstay in the senior side, Gothard has come a long way from the chaos of his 2023 draft night – an evening that became an instant viral sensation.

Gothard hadn't been invited to the draft as a top prospect; instead, he attended as a guest of his Murray Bushrangers teammate and best friend — and eventual Geelong pick — Connor O'Sullivan.

When GWS shocked the room by calling Gothard's name at pick 12, far earlier than most experts predicted, the move caught almost everyone off guard, including Gothard himself.

Because he was only in attendance as a guest, he wasn't dressed in the standard draft-ready attire. As he was called to the stage, he had to borrow O'Sullivan's polo to look the part.

However, the excitement of that night was followed by a gruelling test of patience. 

Gothard waited more than two years to finally make his debut this season, battling a nightmare run with injuries over his first two campaigns. 

Determined to break through, Gothard delivered several stellar performances at VFL level to showcase his potential, eventually forcing his way into the senior side.

"It's been a bit of a wild journey. Definitely a unique one, and not one that I thought would have gone this way," Gothard told AFL.com.au.

"Obviously, the story of getting drafted (was one thing), but then in my first and second year, I battled with a few injuries, which set me back and were quite frustrating.

"But then I had a good pre-season off the back of last year. I was in rehab to start, but I had a few good teammates in there, like Brent Daniels, who pushed me through it and ultimately got me to the position I'm in now.

"I've learned a lot through those setbacks, which has been really beneficial for my growth. Hopefully, I can continue to improve week by week throughout the year."

Having featured in all six games for the Giants so far this season, the 20-year-old has firmly held his own with averages of 16 disposals, three tackles, and a goal per game.

"At the start of the year, a few opportunities arose with a few boys out, so I've just been learning off them," Gothard said.

"They've been really good for me – Brent Daniels, Toby Bedford, and all the boys down in the forward line. Even the likes of Darcy Jones have been great for me and my development this year. 

"The first few games I was quite nervous, but I'm quite settled now. I'm feeling comfortable (at the level), so it's been extremely fun."

Despite the external plaudits, Gothard remains his own toughest critic, channelling his professional drive into becoming a genuine matchwinner for his side.

"I'm a pretty harsh critic of myself. I think I can always do better, but I'm fairly content with how I've played," he said.

"However, I would like to impact (matches) more; obviously, we aren't winning games (now). So, I'd like to have an impact and hopefully be a player who can change games and help us win more games going forward."

The Giants face North Melbourne at Canberra's Corroboree Group Oval on Sunday afternoon.

2026 Telstra AFL Rising Star nominees

Opening Round: Leo Lombard (Gold Coast)
Round one: Jagga Smith (Carlton)
Round two: Jobe Shanahan (West Coast)
Round three: Willem Duursma (West Coast)
Round four: Cooper Trembath (North Melbourne)
Round five: Jacob Farrow (Essendon)
Round six: Phoenix Gothard (Greater Western Sydney)