St Kilda recruit Nick Hind never lost faith in his quest to play football at the elite level.
Hind was picked up by the Saints at 54 in the National Draft after an eye-catching season for VFL side Essendon which saw him finish second in the club's Best and Fairest award.
After being overlooked in the draft as a teenager, the Ballarat speedster plied his trade for local clubs Clunes and East Point, before moving to Melbourne to pursue his dream of playing AFL footy.
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“I always backed my ability and thought that I could make it at the level," Hind told SEN's Time On.
“I didn’t know whether that would have been AFL or VFL but I knew that some of the guys that got drafted in that year in the TAC Cup, I thought if I really stuck it out I could be a really good player.
“I think at that time I had a lot of family at Clunes and it was just more of an enjoyment thing after breaking my collarbone and not playing much footy that year.
“I definitely don’t regret going back out to Clunes as I felt I got better as a player when I went out there.”
The 24-year-old will be looking to make an immediate impact with the Saints in 2019.
“I definitely feel like I can make an impact and play early in the season,” Hind added.
“I’m just looking to continue to build, not putting any boundaries on what I can do and I’ll just come in and try and make an impact early and try and make us a better footy side – that’s my ultimate goal.”
Hind was one of four mature-aged recruits selected by the Saints alongside South Fremantle forward Matthew Parker and North Adelaide pair Robert Young and Callum Wilkie.
Listen to Nick Hind’s chat on SEN’s Time On with Sam McClure in the player below