Ken Judge knew he didn't have long to live. Harry Morrison knew it would probably be the last time he saw his godfather.
Ken fixed his eyes on young Harry. "Make it," he told the teenager.
Soon after, in January this year, Ken died of cancer. Harry carried those last words with him all year. Every week he went out to play for the Murray Bushrangers the words of his godfather hung with him, every time he ran and trained Ken's words, that were more an instruction than an urging, pushed him along that little bit harder.
He didn't just love and look up to Ken as you do a long-time family friend, he was in awe of him.
Last Friday night with their first pick in the draft Hawthorn called the name Harry Morrison. He could not believe the serendipity.
"I can remember draft night one of the first people I called was Annette [Judge]. It was a pretty special moment just to be able to tell her and to have any connection with Ken, I guess. She was excited," Morrison said.
"His last words to me were 'make it'. I have been thinking of that all year."
This week he carried those words with him again when he walked through the doors at Waverley and, casting aside a lifetime as a Richmond fan, was overwhelmed at the thought he could play for the club his godfather had coached and won a premiership with as a player.
"Knowing Ken and what he had done winning premierships at Hawthorn and coaching the club I was in a bit of awe of him even though he was my godfather. But he would always be friendly and helpful. I was a Richmond fan growing up but he always had good words to say," Harry said.
"It's an unbelievable honour to have the opportunity to pull on the jumper he pulled on."
Harry's mum Tanya and Ken's wife Annette became friends when they both worked at a Country Road store in Melbourne. Then Ken and Harry's dad, Darby, became mates and despite the Judges moving back to Perth initially for Ken to coach West Coast, and Darby and Tanya packing up the family for a lifestyle shift to Benalla, the families remained close.
"We had a few trips over there and they would come up once or twice a year normally around grand final time and spend a week at home in Benalla. It was nice to catch up with them," Harry said.
"As kids we went there a few times and towards the end of last year, in November, we took a trip over to see him because we thought that might be the last time we would see him. So we made a trip over there and spent a week with the Judges.
"Words can't describe the feeling going to see him then, knowing you are going to see someone who means so much to your family and knowing it was only a matter of time was the worst part. So to be drafted to Hawthorn now is pretty special."