Persistence has paid off for Kye Declase, with the 24-year-old utility selected by Melbourne in the 2021 AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft.
A product of both Montmorency and South Morang, Declase was drafted by the AFL ladder-leader with pick No.15 in last night’s draft.
He trained with the Demons for a week during the 2021 pre-season and was eventually snapped up after an impressive start to the VFL season with Werribee.
Declase played most of his junior football with South Morang, before moving to Montmorency at the under-16 level.
He went on to impress in the Magpies’ senior side, kicking 34 goals in 20 appearances between 2014 and 2019.
His best performance for Montmorency came in Round 8, 2018, when he booted nine goals in a 60-point win over Hurstbridge at Montmorency Park.
Declase played 11 VFL games for the Northern Blues across the 2016 and 2017 seasons, before switching to Werribee.
He has been a standout since joining the Tigers, booting 42 goals in 35 appearances, while also impressing when used as a lockdown defender and on the wing.
Declase was coached by former Port Adelaide premiership coach Mark Williams at Werribee, and links up with his former coach at Melbourne, with Williams now serving as the club’s Head of Development.
