{"id":224978,"date":"2025-10-19T11:12:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T11:12:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/224978\/"},"modified":"2025-10-19T11:12:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-19T11:12:14","slug":"confident-consistent-kondogiannis-overcomes-doubt-to-enter-afl-draft-calculations-afl-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/224978\/","title":{"rendered":"Confident, consistent Kondogiannis overcomes doubt to enter AFL Draft calculations – AFL News"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/p>\n

AFL Draft<\/a> prospect Max Kondogiannis<\/a> has spent his career on the fringes of selection.<\/p>\n

More specifically, he’s well accustomed to missing out.<\/p>\n

The 190cm defender missed Vic Metro’s U16s squad, the AFL<\/a> Futures game and the 2025 Vic Metro summer training hub.<\/p>\n

Kondogiannis maintained a healthy self-belief through that period which has finally borne fruit in 2025.<\/p>\n

But those constant queries have steeled Kondogiannis with a perseverance which sets him up well for his transition into an AFL<\/a> system if selected at November’s AFL Draft<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There is a widespread expectation that if he were listed, Carey Grammar’s 2025 captain would be a project player, given an opportunity to build his body and develop in the background through the early stages of his career.<\/p>\n

He showed a willingness to do that ahead of this season, putting on six kilograms and improving his two-kilometre time trial time between the last game of 2024 and first of 2025.<\/p>\n

Kondogiannis also became more damaging with ball in hand across pre-season – a necessary addition to his skillset given his frame projects as a hybrid defender.<\/p>\n

Fuelled by the expectation of being a slow burn, Kondogiannis believes he is well equipped to make the step up and doesn’t put a limit on what he can achieve.<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI think it’s just been my whole journey, really, just working hard and not getting that immediate recognition,\u201d Kondogiannis told Craft of the Draft.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t think that would faze me.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I think there’s a sense of nourishment seeing boys like Angus Clarke<\/a> and Tobie Travaglia<\/a>, who have a similar frame to me, go out and play AFL<\/a> and play well in their first year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it just shows that, although, yes, they still have to build that physical body, if you do that, the size of your body doesn’t really matter.<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cYou just have to be ready to go out and compete and I think having footy IQ so that if someone’s stronger or quicker than you, you’re smarter means you’re already halfway there and more often than not, you’re going to beat them.<\/p>\n

“So I know I’ll have to work hard but I don’t see any boundaries to playing in the first year as long as I’m willing to compete.\u201d<\/p>\n

Also an excellent cricketer at schoolboy level, the Kew junior is well accustomed to high performance environments and has held leadership positions in both sports so would slot into a new environment seamlessly.<\/p>\n

He did so at the U18s National Championships, playing a consistent role in defence for Vic Metro as he competed above his weight grade and height and was willing to take the game on.<\/p>\n

A rare shining light in Vic Metro’s opener against South Australia, Kondogiannis then played no footy in the month between Vic Metro’s first and second games due to a finger ligament injury but didn’t look like he’d missed a beat upon return, strengthening his stocks as a reliable defender.<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cThat \u2018Champs’ period was probably my strongest football,\u201d Kondogiannis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was pretty good to be able to perform at the highest level in U18s.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think just keeping that principle of consistency leads to confidence, and if you do the work, you’ll get the rewards which held me in good stead.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to be the best and to do that you’ve got to beat the best so that was the mentality.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kondogiannis has also spent time ahead of the footy in 2024 and this year for Carey Grammar but there is now a consensus that his best footy is played as a backman – where he has played his best footy for Oakleigh Chargers in 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to make intercept marking a weapon,” Kondogiannis said of his pre-season.<\/p>\n

“I just went to work on that and put heaps of work into my contested marking and bring in-game intensity when I was training my marking which I think has been my biggest improvement this year, and also my kicking which I see as a weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n

A popular figure among teammates, there is a striking duality about Kondogiannis’ personality, with the teenager mixing cheeky teen wit and spirit with a more deep-thinking nature, revealed though his sophisticated eloquence.<\/p>\n

After learning off the likes of Jagga Smith<\/a>, Finn O’Sullivan<\/a> and Tom Gross<\/a> last year, the latter of whom Kondogiannis maintains contact with, he’s learned about the character traits needed to make an AFL<\/a> list and is confident he would be able to make the step up.<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/p>\n

“I think I’ve developed as a leader over time,” Kondogiannis said.<\/p>\n

“I’ve gone from more of a leader that says to a leader that does and a leader that wants to bring along teammates with him.<\/p>\n

“I think no one really likes to be told what to do but if, if they see someone doing it, they see someone doing it at a level, it drives them, and I think it pulls everyone up with them.<\/p>\n

“So I think the biggest thing I’ve learned in leadership, is you’ve got to set the tone yourself and be the example and being a good mate is important: if you’ve got that, more often than not, the people will follow the standards that you set.”<\/p>\n

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