After receiving a text from a close mate telling him he’d just been picked up by Freo, new recruit Jacob Ballard thought it was a joke.

The nineteen-year-old, who works as a landscaper in Melbourne, sat down for his lunch break and decided to check his phone.

“I pulled my phone out of my pocket and it was going crazy,” Ballard said.

“One of my mates sent me a text saying well done, congratulations, have fun in Perth.

“I thought he was just mucking around so I gave him a call to ask him what he was talking about.”

He then called his manager, who confirmed he had been selected at pick 47 in the rookie draft.

“That’s when I started to realise what was happening,” he said.

“I couldn’t believe it, I was so happy.”

He arrived in Fremantle on Thursday morning and was given a tour of the club’s facilities and was introduced to the staff.

Ballard played for Carlton reserves team, the Northern Blues in 2013 and has seen the facilities an AFL club has to offer.

“Obviously being at the Northern Blues last year we trained at Carlton, so I’ve spent a bit of time in their facilities but we never really got to use them,” he said.

“Knowing that I’m going to be able to train in elite facilities is exciting.”

Ballard has never been to WA before and doesn’t know anyone who lives here, but he’s not  daunted by the move west.

“I’m just happy to be on a list, I would have gone anywhere to play AFL football,” he said.

“It’s my dream, but I didn’t expect anything to happen.

“Now it’s finally happened I’m going to take my opportunity straight away.”