THE ONLY thing Toby Krasna needed was a trial.
Having been a relatively unknown quantity heading into 2026, Krasna just wanted an opportunity to show his wares. If he could just be provided with that chance, he knew he would take it with both hands.
He was right. A few months later, Krasna shapes as a likely top-20 pick and his stocks are still rising. He's gone from being left out of Northern Knights and Vic Metro programs, to being one of their most important players. And clubs, particularly those holding first-round picks, have taken notice.
Krasna got his chance in a Knights practice match last summer. He dominated on a wing, was picked in their round one side at Talent League level, and never looked back. The Vic Metro trial quickly followed, he aced it again, and then he became a pivotal member of their carnival-winning side.
"I actually said to mum and dad, all I needed was a trial," Krasna told AFL.com.au.
"Once I got the trial to make the Vic Metro squad, I knew I'd play well. I feel like I'm someone who can play better the higher the game is, or the quicker or stronger it is. I feel like that makes me feel better and I've noticed that myself.
"I felt like the best talent were out there in the carnival and I like playing in that high-pressure sort of game. The higher the footy, the better I can play. So, after the practice match and round one, I had that in my mind.
"Obviously, I got my chance by playing round one. Last year, I didn't even get a sniff until about round 14 with the Northern Knights. But all I needed was the chance, then I played the practice match and that was my chance. From there, once I got in the Metro squad, I didn't get taken out of the side."
Krasna enjoyed an impressive season for a strong Knights program. He averaged 21.3 disposals, 4.2 inside 50s and 3.3 tackles per game, while adding seven goals from his 12 appearances.
But it was when the level got higher, like when he played for Vic Metro at the Marsh AFL National Under-18 Boys Championships, that he played his best footy. The hard-running winger averaged 19 disposals and a goal per game from his three matches, before a hamstring injury ended his carnival early.
It quickly became apparent that Krasna was a top-20 pick in waiting, with clubs impressed by his speed and endurance on a wing. That was further established at the recent Telstra AFL Draft Combine, where the 182cm prospect finished seventh in the 2km time trial after setting a time of 6.10 minutes and ran a three-second 20m sprint.
"Everything started ramping up during the Metro games," Krasna said.
"I'd played a couple of games that were consistently good. I didn't have any 30-disposal, three-goal games. But I'd have 20-odd decent touches and a goal every game. That didn't surprise me much.
"But then my name started getting around and that type of thing, that's where it surprised me. Recruiters started reaching out just after the Vic Metro trials. I was very fresh and raw to the whole thing. I never made the summer hub or anything like that, and I'd never got a Metro trial up until then."
For much of Krasna's junior football career, there was a possibility he would end up at Carlton. But having been part of the club's Next Generation Academy through his Indigenous background, zoning issues meant he slipped through.
While the exact reasons behind why Krasna is no longer tied to the Blues remain confusing for him – he hasn't spent any time with their NGA program this year, while his area has also been rezoned to Collingwood's – he is now happy to be on the open market and eligible to be recruited anywhere.
"I was at Carlton from when I was 16 or 17," Krasna said.
"You're meant to be there for three years, as part of the Academy, and I was there for two. I wasn't properly in the NGA, I think mainly because I wasn't a very good prospect back then. But I was still going down there heaps.
"But they just stopped reaching out after my bottom-age year. The last time I was there, it was the week of our wildcard game last year, but then I never went back there. [My manager] tried to work some stuff out, because maybe I'd moved zones.
"But then Carlton had said that I just wasn't in its zone anymore and my name wasn't with them anymore or something like that. It was a bit confusing. It was quite weird. It is what it is. I'm in the open pool and I'm open to any team."
Krasna is comfortable moving anywhere, and he'll likely know the exact location by the end of the draft's first night. Having entered 2026 off the radar, his improvement throughout the season has meant he'll now finish the year as one of the country's most sought-after prospects.
"It will obviously be a dream come true," Krasna said. "It's so exciting. Sometimes, it doesn't feel real. Obviously, I know that I've put the work in to be here. For it to maybe become a reality would be unreal. It's exciting."