Icy weather greeted Yestin Eades when he arrived in Ballarat for the first time.

But the cool temperatures masked a deeper warmth that would provide structure for a young West Australian man desperate for an AFL career.

“We had a phone call from Kevin Sheehan at the AFL in late July/August last year about a young boy from the AFL Academy,” North Ballarat Rebels Talent Manager Phil Partington said.

“They were looking for a safe footballing and schooling environment to give this boy an opportunity.

“Given we’d had Jake Neade and Dom Barry in this program before, they thought the Rebels would be the best program and St Patrick’s would be the best school for Yestin.”

Balmy nights training with his teammates at Swan Districts were replaced by freezing sessions with North Ballarat Rebels in the TAC Cup.

“I got a photo from Yestin in the snow with his hands in the air saying ‘I’m not sure if I should trust you Parto’,” Partington said.

“We’ve had a great relationship and worked really closely to make sure he got the best out of himself."

Despite the challenges settling in a new town presents, Eades flourished.

“He was on and off school all the time in WA but in a really structured environment at St Pat’s College and the Rebels he was great,” Partington said.

“He never missed a day at school, immaculately dressed in the way he presented himself – which would have been a challenge given the environment he came from.

“Everything we spoke to him about or gave him advice about – he took on board.

“He became very diligent in preparing himself for footy, which was really good.  His sleep patterns, his eating, his hydration, things like that.  He was learning all the time. 

“These things he wasn’t used to but being in a more structured environment certainly got the best out of him.                                                                             

“You could just see him grow each day he was in the program.”