Almost six years ago Craig Moller was one of the hundreds of aspiring AFL players dreaming of being drafted.
Today the Melbourne United forward is living out a different dream but he wouldn’t change a thing.
The 24 year old was drafted by Fremantle with pick 46 in the rookie draft in December 2012 – the same rookie draft where Sydney Swans picked Jake Lloyd – and moved from his home in Sydney to Western Australia.
Craig Moller (right) contests with Sydney’s Daniel Kickert.Credit:AAP
Moller grew up as a basketballer then moved to football and his managed to play one AFL game for the Dockers in the final round of 2013 before spending the next two seasons out of the side.
At the end of 2015 season he was delisted and made the brave decision to do what many felt was impossible and return to elite basketball.
“I finished school in 2012 and two weeks later was in Perth doing pre-season training with Freo,” Moller recalled.
“That was six years ago now, I wouldn’t have thought I would be here as I thought I would stay in the AFL system but when I saw the opportunity to get back to basketball I took it as it was the first sport I played and what I love to do.”
Flashback: Craig Moller gets his chance with Fremantle.Credit:Jane Dyson
Where Moller is fortunate is that his best talents are his nose for the ball, his long wingspan and knack for playing great defence – all those skills survived his time in football and his touch with the round ball wasn’t as far gone as many expected.
The Sydney Kings threw him a lifeline to train with them and he managed one game in 2015-2016 as an injury replacement player and he has been playing every summer and winter since then to rebuild his skills, especially his outside shooting which continues to improve.
“It seems pretty popular to go from basketball to footy but the best thing is I basically had to do it myself," Moller said.
“I was very low profile coming out of AFL and I basically started again at 21 which is not what you want to do when guys my age had been to college and got their own reputations.”
All that work paid off this year as Moller helped Melbourne United to last season’s championship, led Hobart Chargers to this year’s SEABL championship and continued to perform off the bench for Melbourne this season.
Moller might not be playing major minutes but his disruptive play saw him selected to make his Australian Boomers debut in FIBA World Cup qualifiers against Iran and Qatar in Melbourne next week.
In the past two years he has also played in three NBA pre-season games with Melbourne and for Australia at the World University Games.
“I wouldn’t have thought I would be here if you map out my sporting career from age 18,” Moller said.
“It’s been a pretty wild journey with a lot of ups and downs but I’m super excited to get this Boomers opportunity.”
Moller said a couple of AFL clubs reach out every so often to see how he is going but he hasn’t had any prospective NBL players reach out yet.
But with South East Melbourne Phoenix entering the NBL next season and the league chasing a 10th team, he hopes other former basketballers return.
“I haven’t had anyone ask about following me yet but hopefully there will be a few more,” Moller said.
“There are so many jobs in the AFL, 40 odd guys on a list and the NBL is great now we have a ninth team coming in and hopefully a 10th down in Tassie as that gives more jobs to guys and may see more guys come back.”
While AFL footballers are sweating it out at pre-season training, Moller is preparing for his Australian debut.
“I’m tremendously happy and proud to be where I am but know I have plenty of work ahead,” Moller said.
Melbourne United play Sydney Kings at Melbourne Arena on Saturday at 2.50pm.
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