Tim's time to shine at the Suns

Tim Sumner, right, is congratulated by brothers Daniel and Byron after being drafted by the Gold Coast Suns. Picture: Campbell Brodie. Source: Sunday Mail (SA)

THE three Sumner brothers - Byron, Daniel and Tim - sit nervously on their stools in the front bar of the Midway Tavern in Elizabeth Downs.

It's AFL Draft night and the boys have gathered at the pub where Byron's girlfriend pours beers to watch the broadcast from the Gold Coast.

Byron, the eldest at 21, looks the most calm. He's been through this process before, having been drafted by Sydney in 2009.

He was delisted after two years but after a brilliant season for Woodville-West Torrens in the SANFL is a chance of being picked up again, although probably not tonight.

"My manager has said that the rookie draft is my best bet," Byron says. "He said maybe to the Crows."

Byron, who last week moved into a rental property in Para Hills, signing a three-month lease, likes the idea of staying local.

To his left sits the youngest of the three, Tim.

He's just turned 18 and is looking to cap a remarkable rise in the game by finding his way on to an AFL list. Just 12 months ago he was playing division five amateur football at Woodville South.

But he joined Byron at the Eagles this season and played well enough to earn a spot in the state under-18 team and later made his league debut. It's on his shoulders the weight of expectation rests tonight.

THE NERVOUS WAIT

"Timmy's 100 per cent going," Byron says. "It's just a matter of finding out where."

Daniel, 19, was also a talented footballer but broke his ankle in an under-18s trial with the Eagles last year.

There were problems with his surgery and he ended up being off his feet for nine months.

He says he's lost interest in the game and now has other things to worry about, such as his first-born son Cruz, named after recently delisted North Melbourne player Cruize Garlett.

But he's just as nervous as Tim, knowing how much it would mean to his younger brother to play in the AFL.

While they're waiting for the start of the broadcast the boys play pool and try to keep their mind off things.

The conversation flows from Anthony Mundine: "He's too cocky," Byron says. To Liam Jurrah: "He's in Adelaide," Daniel says. "I've seen people uploading photos with him on Facebook. He's carrying a bit of a gut on him."

Daniel and Byron - who the boys call BD ("His middle name is Dean, so it's BD for Byron Dean, but he likes to tell girls it stands for something else," Tim says) - start planning how they're going to celebrate when Tim's name is called out.

"I'm throwing this drink straight on you, I don't care," Daniel says.

"We'll all just pile on to him," Byron suggests.

Tim, who is coming off a sleepless night, ignores the banter. Soon it's time for the draft. Tim, who has a different biological father to his brothers and is much taller, isn't expecting to go until late in the draft but he still watches intently.

Two of his teammates at the Eagles - Jimmy Toumpas and Matt McDononough - go in the first two rounds.

A commercial break nearly sends Byron over the edge.

"I hate how they have these ad breaks, I just want to know where my bro's going," he says.

Byron and Daniel try to guess where Tim will go but they keep changing their mind. Daniel thinks Sydney at pick 46 or Essendon at 51.

Byron has had a strange feeling Tim will go at the same number he was drafted to Sydney two years ago - 54. That would mean Carlton.

THE BIG MOMENT

He's out by one.

The boys erupt as Tim's name flashes on the screen underneath the colours of the Gold Coast Suns.

Daniel grabs for Tim's head. Byron plants a kiss on his cheek. Tim is stunned.

And then the phone calls start. First it's his uncle. Then his manager. Then a cousin. A welfare manager from the Gold Coast is the next to get through. In the chaos, Tim doesn't even catch his name.

The overwhelmed youngster takes all the calls outside because the pub is noisy. Byron and Daniel sit on their stools, not really knowing what to do.

"I feel like crying but at the same time I want to smash his phone," Daniel says. "I'm not going to the airport. I don't like crying in front of people."

Byron: "Our brother plays for the Gold Coast Suns. Can you believe it?"

Tim returns. The text messages are flying in thick. An aunty. Teammate Luke Dunstan. Eagles talent manager Shane Grimm. Another cousin. Gold Coast defender Nathan Bock. All offering their congratulations.

REALITY SETS IN

After a couple of minutes the boys settle and let the news soak in.

"You're playing with Gary Ablett," Daniel cries.

"You wait for the Facebook statuses next week. Just walking down the beach  ... with Gary Ablett. Just up on the Gold Coast  ... with Gary Ablett."

Byron is so excited for his brother that he barely notices when Essendon takes Sean Gregory with the last live pick in the draft.

He'll have to wait until the rookie draft on December 11 now, but that's the last thing on his mind as the boys pile into a car and head for their uncle's.

In the car, Tim's phone keeps ringing. Derek Kickett, who is connected to Tim's management, calls. The boys are in good spirits now.

When Tim's manager rings again Byron picks up, pretending to be Tim. After a while he hands the phone to Daniel, who continues the act.

They go back and forward a couple of times until the joke wears thin and Tim grabs the phone. As he begins to talk, the line drops out.

There's family and friends gathered on the front lawn and a cheer goes up as Tim walks in. The boys' grandfather, Dean, who raised them and in Daniel's opinion is the reason for his brothers' success, tells Tim he's going to be a star.

"You'll be playing NAB Cup straight away," he says. Dean begins telling stories about how he raised the boys with discipline. How he'd meet them at the front door if they were looking to go out the night before training.

"I'm waking you up at 6am and if you talk back I'll wake you up at 5am," he would say.

The screen of Tim's phone continues to light up with Facebook notifications. Within 24 hours he'll have 171 wall posts, 34 friend requests and 62 messages.

A girl who had failed to accept a friend request he'd sent six months ago suddenly obliges.

It's a strange reinforcement of how much his life has changed tonight.

Daniel jokes about wanting Gold Coast training gear sent back within a week. Then he decides he's going to "ring the Gold Coast council" and ask for a job so he can move up with his brother.

Hard work ahead

Tim is working overtime to stay level-headed. He knows how much hard work is ahead of him and after seeing what happened to Byron, knows it could all be over before he knows it.

But tonight is a celebration and, as a replay of a game between Gold Coast and Fremantle begins on the television, Tim can't help but smile.

jai-bednall@news.com.au

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