Nathan Murphy’s family will be rushing back to Melbourne after their boy became a Magpie at the National Draft in Western Sydney on Friday night.

Why?

They just moved into a new house.

Where?

Collingwood Street.

That's an omen if there’s ever been one.

A night away from the unpacking was a nervous one for the four-person Murphy contingent in the draft room. Nathan was joined by mum Deborah, dad Shaun and elder sister Jessica, while middle sister, Carly, instead opted for a music festival.

Murphy impressed with the Sandringham Dragons in 2017. In 12 months he’d gone from gun cricketer who dabbled in school footy to a potential first round draft pick. It meant he was one of the 20 players invited by the AFL to be in the room and experience the draft first-hand at the Sydney Showgrounds

AFL Media, the Herald Sun and Fox Footy had him at pick 16, while SEN believed he would fall to Geelong at pick 22. No one thought the Pies could find one of the steals of the draft at pick 39.

“He’d been led to believe that maybe he might have gone around 15 to 20, but that didn’t happen,” Shaun told Collingwood Media.

Deborah picked up the story.

“He was opposite me and when everyone’s names were getting called out, I started to feel really sorry for him.

“You could see the devastation.”

The pain was thankfully short-lived.

A family with football allegiances split between Richmond and Geelong were all instantly converted to Black and White after the first pick of the third round.

Murphy’s dream had become a reality.

Media responsibilities beckoned, a call from Eddie McGuire was waiting and text messages flooded in from family and friends watching in Melbourne and elsewhere. This was finally the kind of draft night everyone had hoped for.

On Monday, he will be the new kid on the block as life at the Holden Centre begins. Importantly for Mum and Dad, the journey to work will be just across the city – rather than having to move interstate.

Time to settle into Collingwood Street.

“I need to set up my bedroom,” Murphy said.

“My family is so important to me and to be able to stay with them is just awesome.”

This new Magpie isn’t leaving the nest any time soon.