It feels like Cody Walker has been a Carlton player for quite some time. <\/p>\n
It won\u2019t be a formality until the night of November 19, when the Blues match a rival bid on the 18-year-old likely within the first three picks. <\/p>\n
But the way Walker speaks about his soon-to-be club and teammates he\u2019s already cultivated relationships with, coupled with his integration into the AFL program this year, he may as well have been donning a navy blue polo at the Draft Combine. <\/p>\n
Watch Fox Footy\u2019s experts analyse the 2027 AFL draw in a FIXTURE ON FOX special! Watch on Fox Footy and stream via Kayo | Get Kayo now.<\/a><\/p>\n WHAT’S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.<\/p>\n He will follow in the footsteps of his father, Andrew \u2014 who played 202 games for Carlton after also arriving as a top draft selection in 2002 \u2014 and should make an immediate impact within Josh Fraser\u2019s team in 2027. <\/p>\n But it wasn\u2019t always a foregone conclusion that Andrew\u2019s son would choose the path of football romanticism, despite picking the Blues more than a year before the nomination deadline. <\/p>\n In fact, Cody revealed just how close he came to pledging allegiance to Richmond via its Next Generation Academy. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was probably the hardest decision I\u2019ve had to make,\u201d he told Foxfooty.com.au at the Combine. <\/p>\n \u201cA month before my decision, I had a meeting with both Carlton and Richmond about why they wanted me at their club. Richmond gave me an unbelievable meeting and speech about why they wanted me. <\/p>\n \u201cCarlton also did a really good job, but Richmond was really good, and I was really close with Richmond due to family reasons, and I had cousins playing in their NGA as well. <\/p>\n \u201cBoth decisions were really hard, but at the end of the day, I just went with my heart, and I\u2019m glad I did.\u201d<\/p>\n Cody Walker dominated during AFL National Draft Combine Testing in October, scoring a personal-best 6:04 2km time trial mark \u2014 third among participants. (Photo by Josh Chadwick\/AFL Photos\/via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n Richmond has a rich Indigenous history, with the Korin Gamadji Institute a cornerstone at Punt Road. The club has produced the likes of 300-game triple premiership great Shane Edwards, nine-year teammate Daniel Rioli, and fellow premiership livewire Shai Bolton. <\/p>\n Walker, a proud Yorta Yorta man, described his Tigers experience as \u201csuper special\u201d, praising the club\u2019s Indigenous program and embracing of culture. <\/p>\n \u201cAs people know, I\u2019m really close with my culture, and as a proud Yorta Yorta boy, I get noticed as a really good Indigenous footy player,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cRichmond does such a good Indigenous program; they make you realise how good culture is, and they\u2019ve had some unbelievable Indigenous players throughout their program that made me think I could be one of them. <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s the reason why I was so close with Richmond, and I had so many family members and friends there. <\/p>\n \u201cI definitely thought about pros and cons of both clubs, and there was definitely some consideration of what it would be like if I did end up going to Richmond.\u201d<\/p>\n Tigers land pick 5 in huge pick trade | 00:44<\/p>\n But as Walker says, \u201cthat\u2019s passed now\u201d, and the talented midfielder-forward is well and truly casting his eye towards a long career in navy blue. <\/p>\n The 18-year-old was a \u201cfull-time\u201d participant in Carlton\u2019s AFL program this year, and he\u2019s already fostered tight-knit relationships with emerging youngsters Jagga Smith and Harry Dean. <\/p>\n \u201cIt was obviously pretty surreal, not even being a listed player training at AFL level for a whole year,\u201d Walker said of the experience. <\/p>\n \u201cI built so many great connections, and I\u2019ve got one of my best mates who recently got delisted, Harry Charleson. He and I started to create a really good bond \u2026 We\u2019re probably going to start living together next year or maybe the years to come. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve built really good relationships, especially the young core, to see how good they\u2019re going, and they\u2019re some of my best mates now. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m incredibly grateful for the opportunity I\u2019ve been given there, and to potentially end up at Carlton is going to be a little bit easier in that sense, but I want to earn the respect of all my teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n Cody Walker is well-integrated at Carlton, pictured here kicking a footy at training with club captain Patrick Cripps in the background. (Photo by Quinn Rooney\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n Walker played in seven VFL games for the Blues this year, earning valuable experience in a system he continues to learn. <\/p>\n He averaged 22.2 disposals and kicked 3.6 across those outings, flashing his signature burst and spread from stoppage, as well as his ability to hit the scoreboard. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an incredible opportunity for a draftee to get a VFL gig so early and try to boost his stocks or try to get more confidence in the way he\u2019s playing, and that\u2019s what happened,\u201d Walker said. <\/p>\n \u201cI went out there to go play VFL and didn\u2019t know what I was expecting, and I just gained plenty of confidence from that. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd knowing that I can go up against AFL bodies, which made me so confident going back to junior footy, knowing that I\u2019ve been playing against AFL\/VFL players for the past five weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n AFL draft whispers unpacked | 02:51<\/p>\n Asked to describe himself as a player, Walker said people should see a \u201cpowerful midfielder\u201d. <\/p>\n \u201cI think the strengths in my game are (my) burst out of stoppage, accumulating at stoppage; my stoppage craft is what I believe is my one-wood,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n \u201cJust a powerful, contested player.\u201d<\/p>\n Truly one of one, Walker doesn\u2019t model himself on any AFL footballer, but expressed his admiration for a triple premiership Lions star\u2019s habits. <\/p>\n \u201cI love the way Will Ashcroft goes about his business and how professional he is, but also how he translates it to game day,\u201d Walker said. <\/p>\n \u201cTo see what he did a couple of weeks ago (in the grand final win over Fremantle) is pretty cool. <\/p>\n \u201cI also love the way Isaac Heeney plays – and to see how good a presence he is up forward, but also in the midfield, is a great comparison to myself, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n Walker hasn\u2019t shied away from the fact that disposal polish is one of his key improvement points. (Photo by James Wiltshire\/AFL Photos via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n Despite his prodigious talent, no draft prospect is faultless, and the popular knock on Walker has been his kicking polish. <\/p>\n And if we learnt one thing about Fraser\u2019s Blues, use by foot is critical to the way they want to play. <\/p>\n But Walker says film reviews as well as invaluable sessions with Greg Williams and Jordan Russell have helped the dynamic young gun improve that area of his game. <\/p>\n \u201cI go back and watch snippets of myself, and that\u2019s why I\u2019m so thankful for Carlton; they have coaches that do it for me, and they tell me what I need to improve on,\u201d Walker said. <\/p>\n \u201cPolish and disposal efficiency is one that I\u2019ve worked on so hard throughout the year. I think early in the year I just lost a little bit of confidence with it, and then got to work on it. <\/p>\n \u201cI knew if I put the work in, I\u2019d be confident with it, and I did. And towards the back end of the year, I thought my disposal efficiency and kicking ended up a lot better than what it was, and I was really confident in the way I was going. <\/p>\n \u201cI had some sessions with the likes of \u2018Diesel\u2019 Williams; not many kids get to do that. It gave me plenty of confidence. And Jordan Russell \u2026 I can\u2019t thank him enough as well for what he\u2019s done for me.\u201d<\/p>\n MORE AFL DRAFT COVERAGE:<\/p>\n BEST DRAFT PROSPECTS RANKED 1-50: AFL stars they play like and latest club interest intel<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018WHAT ARE YOU DOING?\u2019 Top pick\u2019s \u2018confronting\u2019 scenario… and which club has most draftees as fans<\/a><\/p>\n