As hopefuls huddle around televisions, computers and radios to see where the picks fall at this evening’s NAB AFL Draft, Luke Partington will no doubt take a moment to reflect on his own draft experience.

West Coast’s first pick in last year’s ballot admitted to riding a rollercoaster of emotions before the Eagles snapped him up with selection No.28.

“I didn’t think I was going to go where I did,” Partington revealed.

“I thought if I was any chance I’d get selected a little later in the draft. By that stage of the draft I started to get a little bit nervous thinking that I was nearly a chance.

“I was just sitting there zoned out for a while at home with my mum and my girlfriend and I just saw them jump up.

“I looked at the screen and realised I’d been picked up. They were jumping around and going crazy. It was a great moment.”

Partington said his phone lit up as soon as his name was called. He was inundated with congratulatory calls, texts and social media notifications.

As tempted as he was to switch his phone off to soak up the moment, he thought otherwise in hopes of hearing from a club official.

He didn’t have to wait long.

“(Player services coordinator Ian Miller) called me first after the draft and then I had a chat to Simmo,” Partington said.

“I was drafted on a Tuesday and we flew over on the Sunday for Monday training. It all happened pretty quickly.”

The 19-year-old said he felt no additional pressure having come to the club as its first pick in the draft and he advised this year’s first selection to take the same approach.

“I was a late 20s pick, so there were a lot of people who had been picked before me with more pressure than what I had,” Partington joked.

“For me, it was just about getting to the club and training as hard as I could and learning as much as I could. Hopefully I can become the player I want to be.”

Like many of the club’s players, Partington will be watching the draft with interest tonight to see who will join West Coast’s ranks next week.

He hoped the club might pick a few more South Australians to boost their representation in the squad.

“I will be watching it closely,” he said.

“I played footy with a few guys who are big chances tonight, so fingers crossed we can get another few South Australians over to West Coast.”