THE IMPACT of COVID-19 on the world can't be understated, but for Jacob Konstanty the pause of 2020 can be drawn back as the moment his draft hopes took shape.
Until then, Konstanty had been eyeing a soccer career, having progressed through junior representative teams, including Vic Country, where he played as a wing.
The Gippsland product had also played Aussie Rules, but had come to focus on where his soccer feats could take him until two years ago, when the world ground to a halt, sport leagues were suspended and he started to miss the thrill of the oval-shaped ball.
"It was at that time that local club Drouin reached out to me to play some footy. At the time soccer was going pretty well for me so I was thinking I'd stick with it," Konstanty said.
"My soccer had taken off, I started playing in under-13s and I was kicking goals for fun so it was pretty enjoyable.
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"But I played three games for Drouin and I realised how much I missed it. After that COVID hit and the season got shut down and that's when I decided I'd have a real go at it and work hard on myself every day to get better with my footy.
"There's been a lot of early mornings, late nights and I've been out there consistently to get better as much as I can."
Konstanty, who turns 18 next month, has done that, so much so that he shapes as a possible top-25 pick at November's NAB AFL Draft. The Gippsland Power and Vic Country small forward developed across his draft season to be a busy, effective and at times in-your-face option.
The 177cm prospect kicked 17 goals from 14 games in the NAB League and also was a goalkicking threat in the national championships, including a three-goal game against the Allies. Throughout, there's been a constant in Konstanty's focus.
"My pressuring and my tackling are the two key points I look at going into games, they're the main things I focus on heading into the games. If I tackle someone early I can get going and get into it," he said.
"I realised last year that the best games I play was when I had an early tackle, so I just started focusing on that and when I do that I tend to play well.
"I try to be energetic and create whatever I can and get that intensity up and be annoying. On the field I get pretty heated sometimes. It's good fun."
Commonly most small forwards in the junior system are more renowned for their attacking sense than their defensive abilities, but Konstanty's tackling – he averaged six a game for Gippsland this season – is a key part of his appeal for clubs.
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It was a switch of mindset early in the NAB League campaign that flicked him into gear.
"Going into the year I didn't really understand my role and I thought I'd just be playing as a small forward the whole time and kicking goals. Once I understood my role was actually to help the team win and it's not all about me, I've taken that with pride and I want to bring that into an AFL club," he said.
Konstanty has met with nearly every AFL club's recruiting team and is ready to pack his bags and head anywhere for his chance at the top level.
"I'd love to go wherever and I'm just excited for the next chapter. Even Melbourne clubs ask if I'm ready to move and I'm like, 'Well, yep, obviously!'," he said.
