THE FISHING rod sits in the front seat as Cody Walker gets behind the wheel. The walk to his favourite spot isn't long, but it's quicker to jump in the car.

The 18-year-old is on his family's sprawling Echuca property and as he drives through their backyard he passes the pool, the golf clubs and nets, as well as goal and point posts set up at one end of the field which have acted as his targets for years.

On the left are a new batch of cows the family has brought to their farm, but down the right side of the property, after a quick turn, is Walker's sanctuary and where he comes to escape the pressures that come with being one of the most highly rated prospects in this year's draft and almost a household name before he has even been selected.

It's here – at the Campaspe River – where Walker and his dad Andrew often come for some peace to throw in the line and see if any fish bite, with Murray cods the main lure.

"We're usually around a campfire or just sit around and listen to the quiet. It's a good escape. Getting out here is the best part of it, catching a fish is even better. There's no noise, there's no technology, it's you and yourself and the great sounds of nature," Walker said.

This day – a sunny Friday in September – was particularly eventful in Victoria, with the NFL game at the MCG taking over Melbourne.

But three hours away in the country town the Walkers call home – a 'Walker Farm' sign is on their front gate – one of the country's brightest young footballing talents couldn't have cared less about the biggest show on earth rolling into town.

The moment of quiet came during Walker's biggest and busiest year yet, and AFL.com.au was there throughout it.

We tracked the Carlton father-son prospect through his draft year, with regular interviews as his year unfolded: from being the face of the bidding changes to being inside the Blues for their dramatic season, to becoming a fan favourite before he's even listed, to living by himself, to the five teams he played for and the setbacks and successes along the way, Walker shared his draft year with us on board.

March, 2026

THERE'S a reason Cody Walker starts this season as the most well-known draftee in his class.

His father, Andrew, was drafted by Carlton in 2003 with pick No.2. He arrived as a mercurial, athletic and at times acrobatic utility who could play just about anywhere – and did.

He made a memorable debut for the Blues in round five the next season, being named the Rising Star for his 26-disposal first outing against West Coast, but was still finishing school at Caulfield Grammar, having moved in to live with Blues football manager Shane O'Sullivan.

O'Sullivan is still at the Blues now and spent plenty of weekends watching Cody play this season, and his daughter, Lillian, is the wellbeing manager at the club.

When Andrew was 22, he and high school sweetheart partner Kylie – now his wife – had Cody. Being a young dad meant his son was old enough to remember parts of Andrew's 13-year and 202-game career at Ikon Park.

Cody ran out with the team for Andrew's last game – there's a photo of him and younger brother Arli alongside Patrick Cripps – but would also go to the rooms after games and be at the club during the week kicking the ball with anyone who would kick back.

"I still remember a lot of the games we went to. I enjoyed travelling up to Gold Coast, that was a holiday for us, and I remember his last game pretty clearly," Cody said. "I was older then, but it was a pretty emotional day. I think the only game that I didn't go to in Melbourne was where dad took the big mark.

"I was sick that day at home with my nan and I can't believe I missed it."

The big mark being the enormous leap over Jake Carlisle in 2011, when the head bandage-wearing Andrew famously leapt over the Bomber to hover and take one of footy's best ever marks – later named the mark of the decade.

With time, Cody has started to understand his dad's career with the Blues more and more.

"Now that I'm into my draft era, I've seen how far he got playing 202 games and it's a very impressive effort. I definitely have watched a few games and seen how much he plays like me and how we move the same. It's pretty cool," he said.

"I look at the running with the hunch sometimes and I definitely see some similarities there. I've watched the 2013 elimination final against Richmond a few times and that was such a good game and I definitely want to play in a game like that one day."

It wasn't until after Andrew's AFL career, when the family moved to Echuca and the now former Blue joined them as captain-coach that Cody started to understand his family's footy connections.

"When we first moved it felt like he was a bit of a celebrity and everyone knew me as well. I was so nervous and I was quite a shy person back then, and I had random 18-year-olds coming up to me when I was 11 asking to hang out, and I thought 'That's pretty cool'," he said. "I've learned over the years about it all and with it being a small town, people really just wanted to know me because my dad was a footballer so that took some getting used to."

Soon enough, people were interested in Cody's own footy journey. When he was in Melbourne, Walker played plenty of soccer and some basketball with his school friends, but the shift to Echuca saw footy rocket to become his favourite sport. He got picked for an interleague side in the under-14s and then the next year tried out for the under-15s schoolboys representative team.

"It was shocking. I still wasn't the best footballer then and in that tryout I was horrible. There were 600 country kids trying out and I found it really overwhelming. My first try was terrible, but the second try I was better and I got in," he said.

It was around the same time Walker had been picked to play basketball in the Patty Mills All-Star Indigenous side, and from there his family saw him gain more confidence in his sport (his younger brother Arli, now 15, is also a gun basketballer).

The hype machine picked up in 2024, when Walker played for Vic Country's under-16s team. It was there that his power, ability to find the ball and athleticism stood out. He also made his senior debut that year for Echuca as a 16-year-old, having 26 disposals and two goals off a wing, with Andrew always confident his son could manage at that level.

"As a little kid I remember him playing an Auskick game at half-time and I was injured and David King was interviewing me. He kicked back-to-back goals and it was on TV and I was looking at him going 'He's got something there'," Andrew said.

"But the under-16 state carnival was when it all started to click for him. I thought 'Jesus, this kid can play'. His Echuca debut was another time I thought 'OK, he's comfortable against men' and he was quite impressive that day.

"I was pushing him forward because I'd seen his under-16s carnival and then he'd come back and dominated under-18s for Echuca. Naturally you get a bit nervous about whether it was the right decision and you never want to put your kids in the shark's den, but he handled himself really well."

Very quickly, Carlton fans were getting excited about the prospect of the Walker name returning to the Blues, but that didn't come without consideration for his family.

Because of his Indigenous background, Cody was tied to Richmond's Next Generation Academy. It meant that when he reached his draft year, he could choose between nominating Carlton as a father-son or Richmond as an Academy player.  

Both clubs did their work with him – the Tigers from when he was 14 and in their Academy, and the Blues with their father-son program, which included regular days at the club with other father-son prospects like Harry Dean, and Ben and Lucas Camporeale.

One training session at Richmond saw him matched up against Dustin Martin as a teenager. "I trained with the AFL team when I was 14 and played on Dusty for about 10 minutes. I actually got a stiff-arm off him – it was the highlight of my life," Walker said. "He was the first player to come up to me and say hello and I was actually going to stay at his house one night, which I was a bit nervous about, but in the end I was just there for the day."

In the middle of 2025, Walker and his parents, as well as his manager Tom Petroro from TGI Sport, met with Carlton and Richmond on the same day in Melbourne as both clubs made their pitch to him. He could have waited another year to make his decision, but didn't want the call to weigh on him in his draft season. While he had always wanted to play for Carlton where his dad played, the Tigers' play was strong.

"We went from the big boardroom at Carlton and (CEO) Graham Wright was in there and all of the bosses and they showed me what it would be like there," he said.

"Then we went to Richmond and they gave me the premiership cup and a jumper with my name on it, and they did a few highlights where I was cut into the vision so I was kicking it to Sammy Lalor and those types of things. Sam, Taj Hotton and Harry Armstrong were in the room as well as the CEO, development coaches and it was pretty cool.

"I walked out thinking 'This is a really hard decision' and when we drove home my head was spinning. I was just sat in the back of the car and I don't think I even looked at my phone, I was so wound up I just didn't know what to do."

He took some more time to bounce around his plans, but the sentimental pull of following his dad at the Blues was a significant factor in choosing Carlton.

"I wrote in my journal about how good Richmond was to me so I could say that to them when I told them I'd be going with the Blues. I called Blair Hartley (Richmond's list manager) first and I didn't know what he was going to say, but he was really good," Walker said.

"I just said that it's probably the hardest decision I've ever made and I definitely don't regret being a Richmond NGA player and they were so good to me. I wouldn't be in the position I am without them. I made some more calls and then spoke with Mick Agresta (Carlton's former recruiting manager) and he was out for dinner and I think he ordered himself a steak after it, so he was pretty chuffed.

"Dad's career definitely had a massive impact on my decision and how I want my career to play out, and I'm competitive too. Like, I want to play more games than him. And he went pick two, so if I can maybe get one on him there, that would be pretty cool. But I wouldn't be here without him."

Andrew and Kylie let Cody do the decision-making.

"It was a full-on period and stressful for him, but he wanted to handle it himself and didn't want mum and dad to jump in too much. I'm proud of the way he handled it on his own," Andrew said.

Having finished school at the end of last year, Walker spent all of his pre-season with the Blues, training like a draftee would have.

Now in March and days out from his first game of the season with Bendigo, he's added muscle, worked hard on his fitness, been in midfield drills with Cripps, Sam Walsh and Jagga Smith, and started his season with big ambitions about how his draft year could unfold.

"I'm pretty confident on where I am right now and where I fit, but the next nine months will do the talking," he said. "I want to play some really consistent footy and get through the nationals and I'd love to win the Larke Medal and strive for big things. I definitely put pressure on myself to perform well and that's going to go to a new level this year."

April, 2026

ELEPHANT Cafe in Flemington has become Cody Walker's morning go-to.

His family bought a place nearby last year, and Walker spends about half of his weeks living by himself, while the other half Andrew is in town for work or Kylie is down to watch Cody's games. This cafe visit, his phone is buzzing. Every time he opens Instagram, he keeps seeing his face.

Yesterday, the AFL finally released its new draft bidding system rules, which have made it more difficult for Carlton to recruit Walker as a father-son.

The Blues will have to match with just their first two draft selections, they can only go into a limited points deficit, and if they finish in a certain part of the ladder not only will they not get a points discount, there will be a points loading applied. Alongside Dougie Cochrane, who Port Adelaide has access to as a Next Generation Academy player, Walker has been the face of the storyline as the League ushered in a new, tightened and tougher bidding system after Brisbane and Gold Coast had essentially beaten the old model.

The League had considered a lockout of matching any bids inside the first 10 picks which would have seen Walker not able to join the Blues, but didn't go down that path. However, it means Walker's road to Carlton isn't as simple as nominating the club and leaving the Blues to lock it in.

"I didn't know it came out yesterday, I was at the club and nobody said anything to me, but I got home and I opened up Facebook and it was just my face for the next four posts. I was like 'What the hell has happened?!'" he said.

"It has been strange for me to be on all the articles and videos about the rule change. I take it as a bit of an honour. You get compared to the recent father-sons that have been drafted and I find that pretty cool. I know Carlton has got my back and they've told me they'll do a fair bit to get me there.

"There's a part of me that feels really honoured and there's a part that says stay away from it and I'm still an 18-year-old kid playing footy and trying to live my life. But I have no worries being the face of it."

His family saw him wear the tag but weren't happy with the changes and the implications for their son.

"I'm big on loyalty and the father-son rule is such a big part of our game. For it to become a bit of a lottery hurts my heart to see because being at Carlton for 13 years and putting in the time and then having young boys and a daughter (Leti), they've grown up and have blue blood, so it's a tough pill to swallow for us with the timing," Andrew said.

"But we understand that rules are rules and you have to get on with it and not let it distract you. That's the guidance I've given Cody – don't let it be a distraction."

Petroro managed Andrew, so has known Cody since he was born. He says despite Walker's quieter manner, there's an inner confidence that has seen him be able to handle that spotlight and added uncertainty.

"Cody at first glance is introverted. But then there's a burning desire and a competitiveness to win and be the best at everything he can be. At first he might not be as engaging, but he's always listening and learning and you can have a conversation with him and two weeks later he'll go back to it," Petroro says.

"There's a gentleness to Cody that I feel like he gets from Kylie, but then he's got a resolve and – I'll call it pride, not stubbornness – where he does things at times where I've got to stop saying to him 'You're just like your old man', but they're great qualities too."

The attention certainly didn't affect his form at the start of his season. Walker played the first three games of the Talent League season with Bendigo, including a first-up hitout against Tasmania. He had a target on his back that day, with the Devils players physically going after him at the contests. He finished with 28 disposals and two goals, including one excellent finish from outside 50 on the run, but also left with some bruises.

"I was so sore after that game. My neck was sore, I had a couple of whiplashes and late hits and a few bad corkies that carried on for a few weeks," he said.

In that run of under-18 games, Walker realised that he was better than the level. That wasn't being overconfident; it was just an understanding of why Carlton was so desperate for him to train with them all summer. Everything that he had been working on – his step, his power, his clean hands, his running, his pace – was showing up in games. "I just felt so much stronger and more powerful than anyone on the ground," he said.

Two key games followed that, with the AFL Academy coming together for a week-long camp in Melbourne for the centrepiece block of footy's finishing-school program.

Walker played well in both games – 25 touches and six clearances against North Melbourne's VFL side and 22 the following week against Richmond's VFL team – as he continued to work on different parts of his game. Priority No.1 has been continuing to finesse his kicking, which has been a focus of his time training with the Blues.

Before sessions he gets in an extra 50 to 100 kicks, and he's noticed the difference it has made, as well as an attitude shift he's taken into games. "I've learned not to get too down on myself if I don't get something right. 'Walshy' and Jagga said 'don't crack the shits' when I do miss a kick, but just focus on the next thing," he said.

The Academy camp saw him mix with some of the country's fellow top-rated prospects. Cochrane was injured so didn't play, but there was forward Arki Butler, half-back Heath Mellody, ruckman Harry Van Hattum and goalkicker Koby LeCras, who he has become close friends with.

Geelong champion Joel Selwood worked with the Academy as part of his role at the AFL, including going on their trip to New Zealand, and has also been managed by Petroro through his career.

"I rang him and said 'How did Cody go?' and he said 'He's got the chip. You've got nothing to worry about'," Petroro said.

Walker's new friendships have also extended to his time at the Blues, where he has forged strong bonds with youngsters Jack Ison, who he knew through the Carlton Academy, as well as Harry Charleson, Ashton Moir and the Camporeale twins. Even experienced ruckman Marc Pittonet has formed a good friendship with Walker, occasionally having him over for dinner and going to see a movie together.

He found out yesterday that he was making his VFL debut for the Blues this coming weekend, which added more excitement within the Carlton ranks about his potential future there. But he knows with the new system nothing is guaranteed and he's aware there is a world where they can't – or choose not to – match a bid and he lands elsewhere.

"I've chosen Carlton, which shows I do want to end up there. But there's also the part of me that's like, and I know fans might not like it, but if I'm playing AFL I'm going to be happy. I'm not going to complain if someone wants me that bad that they try to poach me," he said.

"I'm not too fussed on it, but obviously Carlton has given me so much in the past six months that it would be a bit flattening if I went anywhere else because of how much they've shown and cared and given me opportunities like this weekend playing in the VFL. I definitely want to end up at Carlton, but it's not the end of the world if I go somewhere else. I need to prove it to Carlton as well that I should be there."

August, 2026

NO DRAFT season is perfect, and Cody Walker found his challenge midway through 2026.

Walker's run of four VFL games with Carlton had shown he was ready for the step up in level and brought an elevated sense of excitement about him becoming a Blue full-time.

Ahead of his debut, development coach Jordan Russell, a former teammate of Andrew's at Carlton and close friend of his family, presented him with his first Blues jumper. He was wearing No.76, although he has assumed the No.1 locker in the Blues' changerooms (the number his dad wore across his career) and signs autographs with a No.1 inking for fans if they ask him for it.

Against St Kilda, Walker gathered 27 disposals and looked right at home in the Blues' midfield, learning off George Hewett, who was out of Carlton's senior side at that point.

"Before the game he took me for a walk and he talked me through all the ruck taps and what was going to happen and he gave me so much advice. He gave me a few secondary handballs to get me going, which was nice, and I was super confident being in there with him, Blake Acres, Lachie Fogarty and having Liam Reidy in the ruck," he said.

After each VFL game, he met with development coach Torin Baker and Russell to go through his game edits, while he also sat in on one of Jagga Smith's edits as the eventual Telstra AFL Rising Star winner pieced together a brilliant debut season at AFL level.

But at that stage, Smith was one of few highlights for the Blues, who sank to 1-8 after nine rounds before coach Michael Voss parted ways with the club after five years at the helm.

Walker found out the news like everyone finds out that type of news – via social media – before catching up with some of his Blues mates to debrief what it all meant.

"I woke up and saw it on Instagram and was shocked. Dad called me straight away. I went out for brekky with Ashton Moir, Jack Ison and Rob Monahan and spoke about it and then we went into the club and there were about 40 cameras at the entrance when we drove in," Walker said.

"The day was really sad and his speech was quite emotional. I sent a text to 'Vossy' straight after and said thanks so much for having me over the pre-season, how he was a great mentor to me and that I couldn't thank him enough for the opportunity.

"He wished me all the best in the future and said if there was any time that I wanted to catch up with him that would be no worries at all."

The run of games at VFL level set up Walker to blitz at the under-18 championships with Vic Country, where he was named co-captain alongside Geelong Falcons midfielder Noah Williams. 

But things went awry in the opening game against the Allies, when Walker had his arm crunched in the third quarter and had to leave the field in pain. He returned to the bench with his arm in a sling and unsure what it would mean for the rest of his year.

"I broke down in the rooms when they told me I'd been ruled out and had a couple of tears. I'm just such a competitive person and I didn't know then if it was a season-ending thing or what it was, so I was pretty anxious about it," he said. "Dad came in the rooms and got me right and I ended up back on the bench to support the team."

Fortunately, scans the following day showed an AC joint injury, meaning Walker would only miss three weeks – and just one championships game across that window which came against Western Australia at Marvel Stadium when the visitors ran over the top of the Country side. It was a new challenge for Walker watching on.

"Being captain is such a privilege, but it comes with so much more than what people think and, being injured, it's hard to be a leader when you're not playing. I had to accept that," he says now in late July.

"That game I was sitting on the Marvel Stadium bench and trying my best to get around everyone but I had FOMO and I was really down, to be honest; not in a great state of mind, because I knew we could have won that game."

He returned for Vic Country's clash with South Australia in Ballarat and had one of his best games of the season – 36 disposals, 19 contested possessions, five clearances, 511 metres gained and a big say in nearly winning his team the game after an explosive run late in the fourth quarter saw him break away and bomb the ball long to teammate Xavier Ladbrook close to goal. Ladbrook marked but his set shot missed in the final minute and Vic Country lost by a point.

"When I'm at my best I think I can do that type of play. Patrick Dangerfield is someone I look up to for those moments with his power and acceleration. When I'm playing well I'm doing those things," he said.

Vic Country's final game – a 92-point drubbing at the hands of Vic Metro – left more to be desired and Walker, although he finished in the under-18 All-Australian team, finished his carnival thinking he had more to do.

The carnival also came when the draft spotlight was at its height, and he noticed the number of people who wanted to talk to him about Carlton, his future, his dad, the draft and everything else rise.

"There's pressure with the surname no matter who you are and particularly for a kid who's grown up predominantly in a small town like Echuca, there's always been talk about Cody and that creates pressure," Petroro said.

October, 2026

THE CONVERSATION came earlier in the year. Cody Walker had many ambitions for his draft season, but one required approval from Carlton: could he play a game with Echuca?

He wasn't sure if the Blues were keen on him playing there, given they had full oversight of his program, but the club recognised how much it meant to him and his family and allowed Walker to play against fierce rival Kyabram in August.

The timing was perfect – it was Echuca's Archie Walker Indigenous Round in the Goulburn Valley League which is named after Cody's great-grandfather.

"It was pretty special. We get jumpers made every year with great pop's face on the back, so to wear that again this year for the last time was really important to me," he said.

Walker thought he was one-and-done, but Echuca kept on winning its way through to the Grand Final and he wanted to play. His season had finished weeks earlier after another stint with Carlton's VFL side following the under-18 championships, and after a few weeks' break, he felt ready to play in the premiership decider. First, he called his dad to ask his advice, then he called the Blues, with Walker keen to follow his family's history at the club in senior flags (his grandfather in 1979 and Andrew as player-coach in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 flag runs).

"I spoke to (general manager of football) Chris Davies at Carlton and they were open to me playing, and I just knew that's what I wanted to do. I couldn't miss it," he said.

Walker came into the Grand Final side and had 20 disposals, 12 contested possessions, eight score involvements, five inside 50s and kicked a goal wearing the No.1 jumper in front of a packed crowd. Echuca beat Shepparton comfortably, with Walker a class above in the last time he will be seen in an Echuca jumper for what he hopes to be 15 years.

"It was a highlight of my year. I just loved every part of it, my whole family was there and it was something I was desperate to do. I couldn't have asked for a better way to finish my year," he said.

"I'm very satisfied with my season. I played every level of footy I could for five teams and did a whole AFL season of training behind that as well. I've definitely fulfilled what I wanted to do. Now it's about waiting until it all comes through."

Walker found himself thinking more about that part – the waiting – at the Telstra AFL Draft Combine in October, as he started to have more conversations with rival clubs. Before then, only one club – West Coast – had made the trip up to Echuca for a home visit and extended interview.

Eagles recruiters Matt Clarke, Adam Shepard and Damon Poole drove up and back in a day as they got to know the midfielder better. The Eagles hold pick No.3, so will be right in the mix for Walker, who most clubs have nestled in somewhere inside the top five players in the country.

"I really appreciated West Coast coming up for a visit. I've been at Carlton all year, so it was good to hear from another club and see how they view your game. It's going to benefit me to hear more from others as well, so it was good to get their feedback. Tom and I were laughing recently that nobody had come to interview me, which I guess comes with being a father-son," he said.

Essendon followed up and invited Walker to tour its facility later in October, which was another new experience for him as he met with the club holding the No.1 pick.

Clubs had met Walker through 'speed dating' interview sessions with the AFL Academy, both in New Zealand last December and in Melbourne in April, but he knows he has developed so much since then. Firstly, there's the physical element – he's put on five kilograms and will be one of the strongest draftees Carlton has selected in some time after a year in the gym there; then there's his speaking and interviewing, which he thinks he has improved as the season has gone on, and the technical elements of his game he has gone to work on.

That includes a focus on his disposal and kicking, with Blues champion and two-time Brownlow medallist Greg Williams regularly on hand for the craft sessions as Walker narrows in on his kicking execution.

Then there's his independence.

A year ago he left Echuca and got on the road ready for his adventure in Melbourne.

"I still remember the phone call when he was on his way down and he was pretty much saying 'Mum, Dad, just let me go do my thing, the more you call me, the more I'm going to miss home'," Andrew said. "He just wanted to sink his teeth into it, so we respected that and just let the boy do his thing and Carlton has been fantastic in making sure he's felt at home."

Living away from family (his best mate from home has moved up for half-weeks recently) and organising his own food, diary, football timetable and social life has seen him prepare even better for what's to come. He has not just learned the training of an AFL player this year, but the lifestyle.

"I've always been pretty particular with my diet and watched what I've eaten, but I've been really strict with my program and really dedicated too. There's been a lot of steak and a lot of chicken through the year. I'm a bit sick of it now," he said.

"Then I've learned so much about recovery, spas, saunas, mobility work and little exercises so that you feel freer going into training and games."

Walker couldn't deny having some mixed emotions as Carlton went on a winning run under interim-then-confirmed senior coach Josh Fraser. The Blues won 11 of 14 games under Fraser, and had one draw, as they made a remarkable comeback to play in the wildcard final and beat Melbourne. They progressed to the elimination final against Geelong but were beaten by 33 points. But with every win, their task to match a bid on Walker became more difficult given the points associated with their draft picks dropped as they rose up the ladder.

The Blues had planned for an early bid on Walker and head into the draft holding two first-round picks – currently No.13 and 18 – and will be able to match a bid for him if it comes at pick No.3 onwards. If it's before that, it will take some draft pick swaps and scrambling to get it done, or they won't be able to match it and bring him to the club. He watched the trade period unfold closely, just to make sure they had enough points for him.

Davies called Walker in for a chat late in the season and reassured him of the Blues' plans to find a way to match a bid and draft him.

"I was definitely thinking about the pros and cons of it all when we were winning, if I'm being honest. I loved that the club was in a good space and going well. But there was also that part of me that was like, 'What's going to happen here?'" he said.

"But I've kept updated by my manager Tom and that meeting with Chris made me more comfortable about it all. That's just the way the system is now."

Walker spoke with eight clubs at the Draft Combine, each of them asking different questions about his season, his commitment to the Blues and how open he would be to going elsewhere, with a bunch of media interviews also inquiring about the same thing.

He tested well in the 2km time trial, finishing third overall with a time of 6:04 minutes, but didn't take part in any further testing due to soreness, having pushed himself hard during the endurance test. He didn't need to do the test, and many other top-end draft prospects sat out testing due to minor injury concerns, but Walker saw it as a final chance to stamp himself on the group.

"I've definitely got that extra pressure I put on myself. I wouldn't be in the position I am without doing that. I'm such a competitive person and I always want to win or be the best I can be. I definitely sometimes put a little bit too much heat on myself, but that's part of my nature," he said.

"But I'm glad I had those expectations – from outside as well as my own – at the start of the year. It gave me something to strive for and I'm really confident because of the games I put up in the VFL. Doing that instead of playing in the Talent League has definitely got me better prepared for what's next."

Since the Combine, Walker has been enjoying some down time. He spent a couple of weeks in Echuca back at home, seeing friends he hadn't spent as much time with through the year, hanging out with his family, having a kick with Arli, who is humming towards the 2029 draft, and even going down to the river to clear his head.

"He's Mr Equilibrium," Andrew said of Cody. 

"He's not too high and he's not too low, but he's amazingly driven. You can have all the talent in the world but what I admire about Cody is his self-drive. Even now that he's been back home for a bit and naturally you've got all your friends around you and everyone wants a piece of the action, he does a great job of managing hanging out with his mates, which he really enjoys, but he's locked into being an AFL player. He's so super disciplined to make sure his career is a long one."

Now that's about to start, officially. With the draft (and its revised bidding system) racing towards him, Walker is keeping his cool. He knows he has done the work and he knows where he wants to be.

"I think about how next year could be pretty much every day, and just how exciting it is," he said. "It's all I've wanted to do for so long, so I think about that every single day. It's going to be pretty emotional not just for me but for my family as well."