Young Geelong forward Gryan Miers is a firm believer in the old adage that, 'good things come to those who wait'.
A Grovedale junior, Miers attracted the attention of recruiters with a 50-goal under-18 season for the Geelong Falcons in 2017, which included a brilliant seven-goal grand final performance.
The 20-year-old was selected by the Cats with pick 57 in the 2017 NAB AFL Draft.
Miers spent all of 2018 honing his craft in the VFL for Geelong. He played all 20 games, kicked 20 goals, and, despite some impressive form throughout the season, didn't earn a call up to the AFL side.
Not once did Miers feel aggrieved. Instead, he knuckled down and put in the work, determined to ensure he would make the most of his opportunity when it eventually came his way.
"I didn't want to go around kick chasing and wasting my time just trying to force a game," Miers told SEN.com.au.
"I definitely in the second half of last year put it down to, 'I'm not going to play (AFL) this year, just be ready for next year - if it's not Round 1, be ready for Round 2 and so on'.
"I was just trying to play the right way and learn as much as I could each week and take something out of each week to make sure I was going to be a good AFL player in the future.
"I wasn't bitter at all, I didn't think I deserved a spot last year, not because I wasn't working hard enough, I was definitely doing what I could to become a good AFL player, but I just didn't think I was ready or had good enough skills yet."
Congratulations to @geelongcats forward Gryan Miers, the round 8 @NAB AFL Rising Star Nominee. pic.twitter.com/EDP1bXXQBK
— AFL (@AFL) May 13, 2019
Myers' patience has been rewarded in 2019.
The livewire has played all eight games for the top-of-the-table Cats and is a real fan favourite. Miers has kicked 10 goals and is averaging 17 disposals (six contested) per game and six goal assists, while across the past three weeks, he is averaging 22 touches.
Following a 22-possession (seven contested), one goal performance in Geelong's win over North Melbourne on Sunday, Miers was rewarded with the Round 8 NAB AFL Rising Star nomination.
"It doesn't mean too much in the whole scheme of things, but it's definitely good reward for effort and good to brag about to the mates," Miers said.