IT IS some journey from Bayswater Oval to the MCG.

While the physical distance might not be that great, the metaphorical path from relative obscurity on the football landscape to the cusp of an AFL list is significant.

Next week, there's a chance Frank Anderson makes that jump in just eight months.

Last September, you could find Anderson desperately trying to change South Croydon's fortunes in the Grand Final of the Eastern Football League.

The well-built midfielder's performances, despite coming in local footy, led to surprise interest from at least one AFL club ahead of last year's NAB AFL Draft.

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The hype has since grown since Anderson moved to Carlton's VFL affiliate the Northern Blues this season, where he has enjoyed a promising start to the 2019 campaign.

Multiple clubs have already registered their interest in Anderson ahead of this Monday's NAB AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, a sign of the 21-year-old's rapid growth.

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Richmond is understood to be keeping close tabs on where Anderson could land, while it's also believed he has caught the attention of Carlton, Hawthorn and Fremantle.

Considering he was plying his trade in the EFL just a short while ago – and considering he was cut from the Eastern Ranges' TAC Cup side in his junior year – it's an incredible feat.

So, what changed?

Luke McCormick, an assistant coach at Eastern when Anderson was coming through the ranks, as well as his final senior coach at South Croydon, is best placed to answer that.

"His ability to win the footy in and around the stoppage and then break away with it, then his ability to hit a target or finish on the scoreboard … it's the reason why he's got those AFL qualities and why he's on the radar," McCormick told AFL.com.au.

"As a junior, he was always able to win the footy, but he used to not have the agility to then break away, and he used to bash the ball forward.

"Now, he's able to win it at the source, explode away and use it. His agility, to be able to evade and then use the footy … absolutely that's the biggest difference."

Having been used on the wing during South Croydon's division one premiership season in 2017, he continued to impress in an outside role under McCormick's watch last year.

However, since his move to the Northern Blues, Anderson has been turned into a tough inside midfielder, and has even been handed imposing run-with roles on proven AFL talents.

Earlier this month, he held gun North Melbourne recruit Aaron Hall to just 13 touches.

That improvement since making the move to VFL level hasn't surprised his former coach.

"For the year he had in 2018, I could see it happening," McCormick said.

"He just had those qualities that AFL recruiters like … his speed, his assuredness with the footy, but also his strength to be able to win it and break away with it."

He's able to win it at the source, explode away and use it. His agility, to be able to evade and then use the footy … absolutely that's the biggest difference - Luke McCormick on Frank Anderson

Anderson, who runs an F45 gym with his partner, is unsurprisingly a fitness freak.

It's the first thing that struck McCormick about him from his Eastern days, even if his raw and unrefined potential still hadn't quite yet revealed itself to his junior coaches.

"He had that confidence about him, but it was a respectful confidence," McCormick said.

"It never bordered on arrogance, but he's always had that about him. It was a maturity, if you like. It said that he knew what he wanted to do and where he wanted to get.

"He absolutely loves his footy, but he also has that wonderful balance between living that elite lifestyle but only doing that for his own health and wellbeing.

"It didn't contribute to him being the best player he could be at TAC Cup level, but at the same time he was still sure of himself. It's a really good quality and trait to have."

The 2019 NAB AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft will be broadcast LIVE on AFL.com.au, the AFL Live Official App and Fox Footy from 6:30pm AEST on Monday, May 27

Find Road to the Draft on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.