1pm. Lunchtime on a sunny Monday afternoon in Port Melbourne.

A 25-year-old factory worker sat down to eat.

Then his phone rang.

It was the phone call Brody Mihocek didn’t want to receive.

“I was told that if I didn’t hear from them, it would be a good sign,” he said.

“I got a call at 1pm and I had just started my lunch break. I was reluctant to pick it up because I thought it was going to be bad news.”

Fortunately, the voice on the other end was bearing good news.

It was that of a Collingwood recruiter, who told Mihocek he remained every chance of ending the day on the club’s rookie list.

“I met up with the recruiters on Monday and they said if I didn’t hear from them, it would be a good sign,” Mihocek reflected.

“They said ‘everything has gone to plan. If it keeps going to plan you’ll be on the list’”.

The recruiters were true to their word, calling out Mihocek’s name with pick No. 22, elevating him onto an AFL list after six years of trying.

Mihocek is a 193cm key defender, who began his career as an underage All-Australian representative in Tasmania.



Mihocek played 14 games for Port Melbourne in 2017.

The 2011 drafts weren’t kind to him, so he spent a year saving his pennies to move to Victoria to further his football career.

But the home of football wasn’t prepared to give him an easy ride to the top.

Mihocek badly damaged his ankle upon arrival, and was forced to work through the backblocks before he could attract the recruiters’ eyes.

He trained with Essendon’s VFL team, switched to local club Maribyrnong Park, moved to Werribee for two years and finally landed at Port Melbourne. It was at North Port Oval that he made his name, locking down key defenders of all shapes and types. It was a memorable two seasons, starting with a best-and-fairest award in 2016 and ending with a VFL premiership medal in 2017.

“It was a great achievement,” he said of the flag, secured in the dying seconds against Richmond at Etihad Stadium two months ago.

“I’ve done all I possibly can in VFL, on a personal front. I always wanted the opportunity, and now it’s come along.”



Mihocek was a member of Port's VFL premiership team of 2017.

When he wasn’t wearing the Borough’s famous red and blue stripes, Mihocek was working in a local warehouse. He dealt with wholesalers, from timber, to flooring, to glass. It’s clearly a very busy job, but one he will now farewell as he embarks on his AFL journey.

“I let them know what could happen (in the draft), and luckily the bloke I work with is a mad Collingwood supporter,” he laughed.

“He basically said if I was to go anywhere, it had better be Collingwood. It’s all worked out well.

“He’s one man down in the warehouse but I’m sure he’ll cope.”

The Rookie Draft presents some wonderful football stories every year, of sacrifice, determination and a refusal to concede on a dream.

Mihocek now hopes to follow in the footsteps of Nick Maxwell and Port teammate Sam Dwyer, among others, as those who used the VFL as a springboard into a Collingwood jumper.

“Words can’t really describe what I feel,” he told Collingwood Media.

“I’ve had mates who have been drafted and old teammates who have previously been there, and they say the feeling is indescribable.

“Once my name got read out, I didn’t know what to do.

“I had a bit of a tear in my eye knowing that all I have done and worked for has finally paid off.

“I know that the hard work is still ahead of me, and I have worked hard for this opportunity and now I will work hard for the next opportunity.

“I’m looking forward to it.”