"If there were a team on the moon, I'd go there."
That's how driven and ambitious VFL star and Footscray Bulldogs midfielder Cooper Craig-Peters is to complete his lifelong dream of becoming an AFL player.
After a breakout season, Craig-Peters is gaining plenty of interest from the top flight, with as many as seven clubs across Victoria and New South Wales calling his manager to set up meetings.
Speaking to Zero Hanger, the 24-year-old didn't shy away from what he wants to achieve, and he will stop at nothing to get there.
"Yeah, definitely (want to play AFL)," Craig-Peters said. "I think that's always going to be the dream for me.
"Personally, I think I've got what it takes to play good footy at that level as well, and I've always wanted to play in the AFL, and I always will want to play in the AFL, so that's definitely a big, big goal of mine.
"I don't care what team it is for. If Tassie was in this year, I'd love to go to Tassie. WA, that's a great state. I just want to play AFL footy; whatever team allows me to live that dream, I'll give them everything. If there was a team on the moon, I'd go there and start. I don't really care about location. I just want to showcase my football ability and live out the dream that I've always had as a kid."
Craig-Peters has been with the Footscray Bulldogs since 2021, but his allegiance to the Whitten Oval club dates back to 2014, when he joined as a Next Generation Academy (NGA) prospect.
The left-footer has always been on the radar of the Bulldogs and Luke Beveridge, and started gaining attention after his 2025 season, which culminated in a premiership and the Norm Goss Medal for best afield in the 10-point win over the Southport Sharks.
"I think I've taken another step in the right direction as well as carrying over that momentum from the grand final last year," Craig-Peters said.
"I think that was showcased at the start of the year, and then after I came back, I was working quite a bit with the coaches. We started working more on just outside footy, getting more of that outside ball because naturally I'm a very contested midfielder, and I think the next step for me is working on that outside midfield finesse, and also hitting the scoreboard, which is what I managed to do."
Craig-Peters' contested work, explosiveness, speed and agility are all attributes he believes can be translated to the AFL, while his leadership has gone to another level in 2026, helping connect the younger group and the AFL-listed players, "explaining our game plan".
Assisting the VFL star's AFL chances is the recently introduced third spot on the rookie list, designated to boost Indigenous players in the competition.
The league will introduce an additional Category B rookie spot for the 2027 season, opening the door for players like Craig-Peters to push their case.
"I think it's another avenue for clubs to take a chance on me," he said.
"Obviously, Category B is a lower-risk chuck at the stumps. I think it helps with expanding our game and showcasing a lot of Indigenous talent as well that's out there, because there are a lot of Indigenous players in those state leagues who perform at a high level, which this will allow them to showcase their talents a little bit more and allow clubs to take a chance on those state league players, or even those 18-year-olds that maybe get overlooked for the national and rookie draft."
