For Schumacher, years of hard work has been all geared towards hearing his name called out on Friday night at the AFL National Draft.

“I’m feeling fairly nervous and just trying to keep myself as busy as I can and not think about it too much,” Schumacher said on Wednesday.

“The whole football journey has been about trying to get my footy dream to come true this Friday night.”

Schumacher – a labourer for Simon Rosa landscaping – played all his junior football at Strathfieldsaye, before spending the past two seasons in the TAC Cup with the Rural Bank Bendigo Pioneers.

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He was vice-captain of the Pioneers this year and finished third in the best and fairest behind Darby Henderson and Jobee Warde.

“I thought it wasn’t too bad a season… a little inconsistent at times, but overall I was fairly happy with how it went,” Schumacher said.

The 18-year-old played a mix of midfield and defence, where his penetrating kicking out of the back half was a strength, for the Pioneers, while he also played two games for Vic Country in the Under-18 National Championships.

“That was an awesome experience getting to play on the best surfaces in the country and meeting all the other players that you otherwise wouldn’t get to,” Schumacher said.

“I made some life-long friends, so it was fantastic.”

Schumacher – a Carlton supporter – was one of the standout performers in the kicking tests at the Draft Combine. He was one of only four players to score a perfect 30 in the goalkicking test, while he also scored 29 out of 30 in the general kicking test.

“I’ve done everything I can, so it’s now just hoping and waiting to see what happens on Friday night,” Schumacher said

Friday night’s AFL Draft will be held in Sydney. Brisbane has pick No.1.