CAMPERDOWN footballer Sam Gordon still had plenty of options when AFL selectors overlooked him in last year’s draft.

VFL clubs began calling to secure the services of the 194-centimetre key forward for the 2012 season but when Geelong Falcons regional manager Michael Turner called, the decision was simple.

The Falcons offered Gordon one of five spots on their list for overage players and another year in the TAC Cup was too good to pass up.

“I guess throughout last year with the draft, seeing some of the boys go to AFL clubs and I missed out, that was a driving force this year,” the 18-year-old said.

“I knew I had to work harder than last year, you can always improve, so that’s been my mindset – I wasn’t draftable last year so I had to get better,” he said.

Gordon missed the Falcons’ first four games recovering from hip surgery late last year but has begun this season with a bang, booting 14 goals and averaging 6.3 marks in his first three games.

The full forward wrapped up his VCE studies at Geelong Grammar last year and he deferred his health science university course to work on his family farm at Leslie Manor, north of Camperdown, allowing him to turn his full attention to football.

“He’s working really hard this year,” Falcons coach Andrew Allthorpe said.

“He was perceived as maybe not being the hardest worker last year, but he’s changed that around, he’s not just about taking grabs and kicking goals, but applying forward pressure and being involved with forward structure,” he said.

Gordon said he was happy with his decision to stick with the Falcons, still harbouring hopes of one day making it to AFL level.

“Ultimately my decision was to take a gap year and I thought playing with the Falcons would give me the best chance to get drafted.

“AFL is still the dream, but there are a lot of factors that go into that, so at the moment I’m just trying to play my role in the team, work hard and get a bit of success with the Falcons.”