Ty Gallop has shown he is made of the right stuff, but Brisbane Academy coach Mitch Hahn says it could have easily been a different story.
"He wasn't loving the game," Hahn said.
"He came to the Academy and said he needed to get back to enjoying footy, so he went back to Maroochydore and played Colts.
"He has a close connection with a lot of his mates there and they went on and won the Grand Final.
"He came back in his 18th year (2024) and committed 100 per cent. He fell back in love with the game and was ready. He was a different animal that flicked the switch."