Prior to the start of the 2014 BFNL season, a lightly-built, athletic, 18-year-old raw ruckman decided to move from his junior club Calivil United to play with South Bendigo.
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Five weeks into that season that same young ruckman was contemplating whether he'd made the right decision.
He'd played the first five games of the season in the Bloods' reserves, the senior side was 0-5 and the senior coach Jeff Brennan had resigned citing business reasons.
Thankfully, Kieran Strachan stood by his ability and the Bloods.
The next week new co-coaches Peter Tyack and Neale Torpey promoted Strachan to the senior side.
By the end of the following season Strachan won the first of two-straight senior best and fairest awards.
On Saturday, the 24-year-old became the first South Bendigo player since Leigh Colbert to play in the AFL when he made his debut for the Adelaide Crows.
The Bloods couldn't be prouder of their former star ruckman.
"To firstly get drafted on the rookie list and to now play an AFL game, it's an amazing journey and it just shows that there's different ways to get to your end goal,'' South Bendigo great Peter Tyack said.
"Strachany always worked so hard on his game. Below his knees he's good for his height and he's a great competitor.
"He's a real character and has a great personality. He had 100 per cent commitment to his footy and always listened to his coaches.
"His work ethic, and will to go as far as he could with his footy, is a credit to him."
Strachan was given a late call-up by the Crows on Saturday to replace former skipper Taylor Walker, who missed the match against North Melbourne because of illness.
Strachan started on the interchange bench before mixing his time in the ground between the ruck and key forward.
In his debut performance Strachan finished with four possessions, four tackles and 10 hit-outs as the Crows went down to the Roos by 69 points.
"It's a great thing for South Bendigo Football Club,'' Tyack said of Strachan's debut.
"Kieran is from a great family and his family has been great supporters for the club in his time there.
"To see what he's done from the time he started at South Bendigo to get to the AFL is just fantastic.
"Everyone at the club will be very proud of him."
Read more: Addy-Iso footy season round 16 results
Tyack said Strachan's football journey from Calivil United to South Bendigo to the VFL with Essendon and Port Melbourne and, finally, the Crows should be an inspiration to all young footballers in the region.
He said South Bendigo's juniors had already learned a lot from their former club mate.
"The players I'm coaching in the under-18s this year know Strachany well because he would come down and help with their training when they were in the under-14s and under-16s,'' Tyack said.
"They love him and they'll be very excited for him. To know that someone from their club has gone on to play at the highest level is great for them."
Read more: Strachan loving life in Adelaide
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